Someone Save Me
by Innocentbum
Summary: Two broken girls are in search of something they both desperately need. One can't find a family, and the other feels numb. Can the two of them find what they're looking for? SwanQueen, eventually. AU, No magic (First story, and I suck at summaries. Might take a while to update... I need to find inspiration. Please read and review. I would like to get better)
1. Prologue

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.**

There's something that she is missing. One day, she is going to find it. She's going to see it and realize; it's what she has been missing her entire life. It is what is going to make her complete. She NEEDS it... whatever IT is.

* * *

She knows she can't keep jumping from home to home, but it's all she's ever done. It's all she's ever known. They've taken her in and kicked her right back out again. This has been the fifth time this year... and it's only March. She knows the first two times was her fault. The third time was their own kid's fault. The last time... she doesn't even remember what happened, to be honest. It happened all too fast for her to process. This time though, nothing had happened for her new foster parents to give her the boot.

She walked in after school, and they were standing there, waiting for her. The second she walked in, she knew. She could see the sadness in their eyes.

"Don't say anything. I already know what's coming," she said to them, walking up the stairs to go to her room to starting packing. "I've done this before."

"Emma, wait," Emma's foster dad said. "This is not on you."

"Really, Steven? You two are kicking me out, for what? I haven't done anything except go to school. I've been here for five weeks now; I haven't gotten into any trouble, so what caused this problem?" Emma frustratedly replied. "I was about to start a job that you asked me to get."

Steven and his wife just stared at Emma. They knew they let her down.

"Sweetie, we have to tell her. She deserves to know," Steven said to his wife.

"I know that Steven," she sais back. "Emma -"

"NO!" Emma cut her off. "Abby, I don't want to know. This is not fair for me. Nothing will ever be fair for a sixteen-year-old foster kid who gets into too many fights. I'm leaving and you guys can't say another word to me. Just call Rebecca. She'll find me some other foster parents. That'll probably just kick me out too." Emma whispered the last part as she trudged up the last of the stairs to get to her room.

* * *

As she looked out into the night sky, a shooting star went across it.

She closed her eyes and wished, "I wish for something to make me complete."

"Regina! Turn off your light and get to bed! You have a big day at school tomorrow!" someone yelled from down the hall.

"Yes, mother! Goodnight!" Regina replied as she got ready for bed. As she placed her head on the pillow and closed her eyes once again, she wished for her wish until she eventually fell asleep.


	2. A Day Just Like All the Others

**AN: Hey guys! I finally got some writing done lol. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. See ya!  
** **I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

Thursday morning, Regina woke up before her alarm and thought, _'Today is not going to be any different. Dad isn't here; mother is still on top of me about my schooling. Can the days stop being so monotonous?'_ Regina's alarm clock went off at 6:15 am like it always does every morning. She dragged herself out of bed, took her clothes out of the dresser and walked to the bathroom. When she got there, she looked in the mirror. _'I'm fifteen years old. I shouldn't be so unaffected by what I've gone through. Life shouldn't feel so... blah.'_

"Regina! Hurry up and take your shower! You need to eat breakfast before you go to school!" Regina's mother yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes, mother! I'll be out as quick as I can!" Regina yelled to make sure she was heard.

* * *

As Regina walked into school, everyone stared at her. _'This is nothing new. Everyone has been staring at me for as long as I could remember. I'm the mayor's daughter, being taught by the mayor to become the next mayor. But most people aren't staring at me the same way. Oh, that's right. Dad died three weeks ago. Do people still feel sorry for me?'_

Regina was brought out of her thoughts by her boyfriend.

"Hey, babe. Are you feeling okay?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes, Daniel. I am feeling fine. You know that you shouldn't call me that in public. My mother might find out and have another reason to hate you," she scolded.

"Why would your mother hate me?" he questioned. "I'm a gentleman, I'm courteous, I love you, I-"

"Daniel, enough. I know all that, but my mother doesn't. And to answer your question," she replied, "my mother hates you because she thinks you are a distraction. She doesn't approve."

"And you crave her approval," Daniel sarcastically remarked.

Annoyed by his statement, she snapped at him, "You are such a courteous gentleman."

She walked toward her locker, away from Daniel, only to be stopped by him a second later.

"What's your problem, Regina?" he asked. "You know that was a joke!"

"No, Daniel. I did not know that was a joke. If you want to make a joke, laugh at the end. Don't sound so serious. I also don't believe you meant that as a joke. I know her dislike isn't one-sided," she finished just as the bell rang. "I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but I have to get to class. Goodbye, Daniel. I'll see you at lunch."

* * *

The day was passing at such a snail's pace, but it was what Regina was used to. She barely paid attention in class, but that didn't matter. She had the readings read, three classes in advance. She knew what the teachers were going to say before they even said it.

Lunch came all too slowly, and Regina was exhausted. She didn't mind, though. She could regain some of her energy by eating and spending time with her friends. As she sat at her table and waited for her friends, she got lost in her thoughts again.

 _'I know Mother doesn't approve of Daniel. Should I tell her that we're in a relationship? It's not like she'll rip his heart out. My grades aren't dropping. But they might if we actually go out. I shouldn't be thinking like this. He said we can get through anything together. But we haven't been doing things together lately. We haven't hung out since Dad died. Why is he treating me differently?'_

At the end of this mental rant, Regina's friends had started showing up at the table.

"Hey, Zelena and Jefferson. How is school going for you today?" Regina asked her two best friends.

Jefferson replied to her, "It's going ok, I guess. I'm just bored out of my mind."

"It feels like everything is going by way too slow," Zelena agreed. "But I heard from one of my teachers that Gold is going to make an announcement that a new kid is showing up next Wednesday. I wonder who it'll be. And what grade they'll be in."

 _'A new kid... in March?'_ thought Regina. _'If he or she is in our grade, I'm going to be the person who greets them and shows them around the school. That's going to take some of my already little free time. Sometimes, I hate being class president.'_

"Regina! Earth to Regina!" Jefferson said as he waved his hand in front of her face and chuckled.

"Stop, Jefferson!" Regina replied as she laughed along. "I'm paying attention."

"Then, what did we -"

"Hey buddies and my darling Regina!" Daniel yelled across the cafeteria.

"Daniel. How many times do I have to tell you, you cannot say that in public," Regina harshly replied when he finally sat down next to her.

"Sorry, babe. I keep forgetting."

"Well, start remembering. I don't want to get in trouble with my mother."

"Yes, sweetie," Daniel replied dryly as their two friends laughed lightly.

* * *

"Good afternoon, students," Mr. Gold, the school's principal, said over the school's PA system. "I have some wonderful news for the sophomore class. There will be a new child enrolling next Wednesday, and I expect all of you to be as open and kind as possible. That is all. Have a good rest of your day, students."

Regina and the rest of her class groaned. _'I don't want to babysit the new kid next Wednesday. School is boring enough as it is. I don't want to have to walk this person all around the school, trying to make them memorize everything. Can't they just do it themselves?'_ Regina mused to herself. _'Wednesday is going to be a long day...'_


	3. Finally The Beginning of the End

**AN: I have no idea how foster care works. This is just my imagination.  
** **I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"Rebecca," Emma started, "please, tell me you found someone. I don't even need two parents, just one would be fine."

"Emma, relax. I found a couple. They're located quite a bit away. They're about four hours away from the heart of Boston, which is where we have to go to get your papers. We'll be leaving for Storybrooke, Maine Monday night," Rebecca stated calmly.

"Storybrooke?!" she all but yelled in the small car. "Who the hell names a town that?"

"Emma! Calm down!" the social worker replied. "The couple is very nice and are willing to take you in. Their names are Mary Margaret and David Nolan. Do you still not care why Steven and Abby gave you back?"

"I don't care. They don't matter anymore," Emma said bitterly.

"Emma, you have to give someone a chance to explain. If you had stayed -"

"Why give them a chance if you know that they'll just let you down. Like I said, they don't matter. They're in the past."

"Ok. Fair enough. Just remember, keep an open mind," she reminded Emma.

 _'Only if they do the same,'_ Emma though but didn't dare say. _'The only foster parents who knew I was gay was Steven and Abby. Then they went and kicked me out. Nothing will ever be fair, so why should I even try to get comfortable with a family.'_

"Emma Swan! Stop going into your head like that!" Rebecca ordered. "You just spiral deeper into negative thoughts. Now, is that keeping an open mind?"

Emma had to crack a smile at her social worker, "No." Rebecca always knew how to get her to smile. "Why don't you just take me in? We get along so well."

"You know why. I would love to, but its considered a conflict of interests," Rebecca said sadly. "You're such a great kid, Emma. You deserve a good, happy family. I hope you find that with Mary Margaret and David."

* * *

Sunday morning, Emma and Rebecca started the last part of the trip from Tallahassee to Boston.

 _'It's been three days. Rebecca deserves some time to relax. I know she's taken the time to sleep, but when was the last time she had a decent meal? Probably Wednesday afternoon, right before Steven and Abby called. When we get to Boston later, she's going straight to bed,'_ Emma thought to herself.

As they drove past the "Massachusetts Welcomes you" sign, Emma took a deep breath. She didn't know why, but she felt nervous. She has done this thing, switching families, many times before. The longest she stayed with a family was two years, but that was when she was six.

 _'I thought Steven and Abby were gonna be it. I felt comfortable around them. They felt safe. Guess it wasn't meant to be.'_

"Emma, it'll be another hour to Boston, now that we're in Massachusetts."

"Hmm. Sounds good. You can finally sleep in a bed tonight instead of in this tiny car," Emma said before she closed her eyes to relax.

* * *

"Emma, wake up. We're here at the office. I'm going to leave you here for a bit. I have to get your papers so that Mary Margaret and David can sign tomorrow. I'll be back in twenty minutes," Rebecca said to a waking Emma. "And fix your hair. You have car head, haha."

"You're hilarious, Rebecca," Emma said back dryly while fixing her long, blonde hair.

Twenty minutes later, Rebecca walked out of the office building and back into the car. Rebecca said as she got in, "Let's get to the motel."

* * *

Rebecca and Emma spent all of Sunday evening and night sleeping in their respectful motel beds. Emma was the first to wake up Monday morning at 6:30, but she tried to go back to bed.

 _'There's no reason for me to be up right now. Rebecca and I are leaving later this afternoon,'_ she thought. _'I'm tired. Shut up, brain. Let me go back to sleep.'_

* * *

Emma woke up again at 10:30, just as Rebecca finished putting her shoes on.

"Come on. Up and at 'em, Ems," Rebecca cheerfully said to the teen.

Emma whined, "But I like Boston. I've always liked Boston."

"Well, you might like Storybrooke."

"Probably not. It's a stupid name."

"Emma... Open mind."

"Fine."

* * *

"Because we had breakfast at 11, do you think we could stop and get food? Like now?" Emma impatiently asked.

"Not yet. We're almost there. We'll be there in half an hour," Rebecca replied.

"But I'm hungry!" Emma whined for the second time that day.

"You're always hungry. It's 2:30. You can wait until 3."

"Ugh... Fine."

 _'I can't wait to eat. Depending on where we go, I'll get a grilled cheese. Or pancakes. With a milkshake!'_

* * *

 _'Did we just pass a "Welcome to Storybrooke' sign and an 'Entering Storybrooke' sign? What is up with this weird place?'_ Emma thought twenty-five minutes later.

Not even five minutes after, Rebecca parked the car in front of a building with the sign, 'Granny's Diner.'

 _'Yay! Milkshakes!'_ Emma cheered in her head.

"Here's twenty bucks, Ems. Go buy whatever you want. I'm going to look for Mary Margaret's and David place," Rebecca said after Emma got out of the car.

"You'll come back, though. Right?"

"Of course. I'll see you as soon as I find them."

"Ok. See you soon!" Emma said as her social worker drove off.

 _'It's time for food now!'_

As Emma opened the door to 'Granny's Diner,' the little bell above it rang. Every single head in the diner shot up to stare at the newcomer. Uncomfortable, Emma walked, with her head down, to the stools at the counter.

"What can I get you, miss?" an old woman with graying hair asked, while she handed Emma a menu.

"Can I get a chocolate milkshake and a grilled cheese sandwich?" Emma tentatively asked without looking at the menu.

"Of course. Ruby!" the lady yelled to no one in particular. "Grilled cheese and a chocolate milkshake!"

"You got it, Granny!" an unknown girl yelled back to her. "Five minutes!"

"Five minutes," Granny said to Emma with a smile before walking away.

As a young girl with red streaks in her black hair walked from the back with Emma's food, the little bell above the door went off again. Unable to help herself, Emma looked towards the door.

"Good afternoon, Mayor Mills and Regina. Would you two like your usuals?" the girl with the voice from earlier asked the pair that had just entered.

 _'That must be Ruby, then. And I'm guessing that the two people who just walked in must be mother and daughter. Regina is really pretty.'_

"Yes, Ruby," Mayor Mills confirmed. "But we will be taking them to go, please."

"Um, Mother. Jefferson and Zelena wanted to meet up today to work on a project for a class. Is it ok if I stayed and waited for them?" Regina asked her mother, which confirmed Emma's suspicions.

"Of course, dear. Ruby, my food will be to go, while Regina's food will be to stay. We will be in the booth in the corner."

"Sure, Madam Mayor. I'll inform Granny."

Ruby placed Emma's food down in front of her. "You ordered the chocolate milkshake with this grilled cheese, right?"

All Emma did was a nod at the young waitress.

"Great! That'll be just another minute, alright? I'll bring it out as soon as I put the Mayor's order in."

Emma still couldn't do anything but nod at Ruby, even after she walked away.

 _'Who is that girl? She's so pretty. Why did she have to sit so far away?'_

Emma was stuck in her head until Mayor Mills walked out of the diner and as Rebecca walked in. She didn't even notice her shake was placed next to her grilled cheese.


	4. Now Everything is Different

**AN: I have a few chapters written. My schedule for posting is going to be on dates that end in a 0 or 5. It'll be easier to remember when to post for me. I don't want to keep everyone waiting for a while if I post everything all at once.  
** **I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"So, Regina," her mother started, "How was school today?"

"It was alright, Mother. I just have a lot of homework tonight," Regina said as they walked down the street towards 'Granny's Diner' to get something to eat.

"Well, if you had not been spending so much time with that boy, Daniel," Mayor Mills replied with disgust lacing her voice, "you would not have this much work to do at the last minute."

Regina kept her response to herself, knowing that her mother wouldn't want to hear any excuses. As they entered 'Granny's Diner,' Regina couldn't help but cringe at the little bell which signaled their arrival.

 _'That bell is far too loud. Granny doesn't even need it though. There's always someone eating somewhere in the diner,'_ Regina thought right before her brown eyes meet green ones.

Regina had missed whatever Ruby had said to her and her mother, but thankfully her mother was there to answer for her, "Yes Ruby. But we will be taking them to go, please."

That statement was able to drag Regina's eyes away from the newcomer's. "Um, Mother. Jefferson and Zelena wanted to meet up today to work on a project for a class. Is it ok if I stayed and waited for them?"

 _'Hopefully, she doesn't catch the lie. She is always able to tell when I'm lying. I just want to know more about this mysterious green-eyed girl.'_

"Of course, dear. Ruby, my food will be to go, while Regina's food will be to stay. We will be in the booth in the corner."

Regina shot off towards the back booth before Ruby could answer; she wanted the seat facing the door, and ultimately the counter so she could figure out who the unfamiliar teenager was.

 _'Who is this girl? Why can't I get her off of my mind? Maybe Mother would know who she is.'_

"Mother -"

"Mayor Cora Mills. It's a delight to see you outside of the school and office," said an older man with a limp and a cane, cutting off Regina's question.

"Mr. Gold," the mayor replied coldly. "If you would kindly excuse my daughter and myself, but we would like to spend some time together. Alone."

"Of course. My apologies, dear Regina," the principal directed to Regina. "Also, don't forget, you will be escorting the new student on Wednesday. She is the blonde girl at the counter."

 _'The one that I can't get out of my head.'_

"Certainly, Mr. Gold. I won't forget about it."

Ruby walked to the table with the mayor's salad in a take-out container, and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Gold. Here you go, Madam Mayor. Regina, your food will be done in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Ruby. Have fun, dear. Study hard," Regina's mother said while handing Ruby enough money to pay for the food.

"I'll walk you out, Madam Mayor," Mr. Gold said to Cora.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you still have to pay for your food," Ruby said, effectively stopping the principal.

"That's right, dearie. I'll do that now," he said as he watched Mayor Mills walk out the door.

 _'Is that the new girl's mother? No, they don't look similar at all. She also looks a little young to be her mother. I don't know.'_

"So, Regina," Ruby broke her out of her thoughts and forced her gaze off of the new girl. "Do you actually want a salad or do you want your usual burger when your mom's not around?"

"Sa-salad, please."

"Coming up."

 _'I hope she didn't notice me staring at the blonde-haired, green-eyed beauty.'_

* * *

After twenty minutes and two texts, Jefferson and Zelena entered the diner and headed to the back corner booth.

"Hello, Jefferson and Zelena, what would you like to order?" a waitress that had brown hair asked the two newcomers after they sat down.

"Tell your girlfriend, I would like my usual. What about you, Z?"

"Jefferson, be nice to Belle," Zelena chided. "I would like onion rings and a glass of water, please."

"No problem, guys. I'll tell Ruby," Belle replied before she walked away.

"Doesn't everyone know that Belle and Ruby are dating?" Jefferson asked the rest at the table. "They don't pretend, like a certain mayor's daughter and her boyfriend, right?"

Regina glared at Jefferson at the same time that Zelena smacked him behind his head.

"Ow! That was uncalled for!"

"As was that statement," Regina snapped, taking her attention off of her male best friend and back onto the two new faces that sat at the counter talking to Ruby.

 _'Is there any way for me to find out her name before Wednesday? But also without it seeming creepy...? Is she looking at me? I can't tell...'_

"Regina? Class president? Miss Mills? HELLO!?" Zelena yelled while snapping her fingers in Regina's face.

"What?" Regina asked after focusing back on her friends.

"What keeps taking your attention off of your two best friends that you begged to come here?" Zelena asked looking around the diner for anything abnormal.

 _'Oh, Zelena's yelling is what grabbed the blonde's attention, not me,'_ Regina thought sadly.

"Nothing, Z. I've just been distracted lately."

"Here's your mushroom burger with fries, on the inside, with a side of fries, and a Diet Pepsi, for Jefferson. And for Zelena, onion rings and water," Ruby said as she placed everything on the table. "Also Jefferson, stop teasing my girlfriend. I don't tease you about Killian."

"Sorry, Rubes," Jefferson said while blushing about his crush and stuffing a fry in his mouth.

 _'Maybe Ruby will know her name. She's only been talking to her the entire time.'_

"Hey, Ruby, before you go back behind the counter, who's the new girl? I'm supposed to give her a tour of the school Wednesday," Regina asked shyly.

Surprised at Regina's shyness, Ruby replied hesitantly, "Her name's Emma. She's pretty cool, actually. Just go up and talk to her."

"Yeah. Maybe," she whispered as Ruby walked back around the counter, then continued her conversation with Emma and the woman with her.

 _'Em-ma. That's a pretty name. It suits her.'_

"Distracted? Lately?" Jefferson asked before taking a bite of his burger. "Ah, I ba mew gar," he continued with his mouth full.

"Translation, please, Zelena?"

"Distracted? Lately? Yeah, by the new girl. And I have to agree. Every time someone talks, your attention is over at the counter. Everyone but your mom knows you're bi, but you do have a boyfriend," Zelena replied with a smirk.

"Shut up," Regina snapped.

"Just go over there and talk to her. Ruby said she's cool so just do it." Jefferson almost convinced her. Almost.

"And whatever Ruby says is cool, is automatically cool, huh?"

"Absolutely!" both Zelena and Jefferson said at the same time.

"Fine, just let me finish my salad first."

Less than thirty seconds later, Emma ran past their table and into the bathroom.


	5. High Hopes

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"Is there anything I can get you?" Ruby asked as Rebecca took a seat next to Emma.

"Sure. Um, can I get whatever the daily soup is and a Cobb salad?" Rebecca responded to the young waitress.

"Certainly. Someone will bring it out when it's done."

"Thank you. So, Emma," Rebecca directed to the ward, "How's the grilled cheese that you haven't touched? What about the milkshake?"

"I didn't even realize those were there," she said before she took a bite of her cooling sandwich. After she swallowed the delicious morsel of food, she asked her social worker, "Did you find Mary Margaret and David?"

"Yes and no. I found Mary Margaret. She said they're going to meet us here in about half an hour to give us time to eat and relax. Thank you... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," Rebecca said to Ruby as she placed the salad on the counter.

"Ruby," Emma said, earning a confused look form the two people. "I listen to the things that go on around me. I've been told that I'm very observant. Too observant, at times," she continued with a shy smile.

"Well, there's your answer..." Ruby trailed off.

"Rebecca. And thank you, Emma, for Ruby's name," she said laughing with the waitress.

"Now, I know her name as well. It's nice to meet you, Rebecca and Emma," Ruby said, shaking their hands in turn. "How long are you guys planning on staying here in Storybrooke?"

"As long until I'm not wanted anymore," Emma stated carelessly, which earned her a glare from Rebecca and a raised eyebrow from Ruby. "It's the truth, though. If Mary Margaret and David don't want me anymore, I go back to Boston and into the group home."

"Oh, so you're a foster kid."

"Yeah. But it's not like I shout it from the rooftops."

"Wait, Mr. and Mrs. Nolan are taking you in? She told me that they couldn't have kids, so they were always gonna plan to adopt. I think it's cooler that they're gonna foster instead."

'They wanted to adopt? Maybe they'll want to keep me. I guess I'll have to be on my best behavior. At least I've started making friends. Ruby can be considered a friend, right?'

"Mr. Nolan is the sheriff of the town. Ms. Blan- Mrs. Nolan is a teacher at the high school. They recently got married, so everyone is still adjusting to the name change," Ruby continued, not noticing that Emma was lost in her thoughts. "Oh, excuse me, Leroy needs me."

"Here's your cream of mushroom soup," said a brunette waitress. She took her attention off of Emma and Rebecca as two more people made the bell ring and entered the diner. As they head to the back, the waitress said, "Hey, Zelena and Jefferson."

"Hey, Belle," Zelena said back as Jefferson just waved at her.

"Hey, babe, can you take their orders while I finish up with Leroy?" Ruby asked Belle as she headed for the register in the corner of the counter.

"Of course. But if Jefferson teases me about us, I'm letting you handle them," Belle replied.

After Belle was out of earshot, Ruby tried to mutter, "Great, I'm going to have to deal with Jefferson. I'll just mention Killian. He always shuts up after that."

Emma didn't want to eavesdrop, but Ruby didn't do a very good job of saying things quietly. "Who's Killian?"

"Oh. He's my best friend. We've known each other since we were babies. He should-"

"He wanted me to tell my GIRLFRIEND that he wanted his usual," Belle said storming over to Ruby, while she handed her the ticket order. "I already know his usual. I've made it before!"

"Babe, calm down. I'll handle him, ok? It's gonna be fine."

As Ruby calmed a fuming Belle, Emma decided to try her chocolate milkshake. "Oh my, God!"

"'Oh my, God, good'? Or 'Oh my, God, that's horrible'?" Rebecca asked.

"Oh my, God, that's fantastic! This is probably the best chocolate milkshake I've ever had!" Emma replied while she looked around the diner, to make sure she wasn't speaking too loud. She didn't want to attract any unwanted attention to herself.

'There she is again. Is she looking at me?' she thought as her eyes connected with Regina's across the diner. 'I think the girl that's there with her is named Zelena. And the guy is Jefferson. She IS staring at me. I can tell because Zelena is trying to get her attention. Class President? Mills? Her name is Regina Mills. Her first name means Queen in Latin,' she thought, chuckling to herself. 'Goodbye, beautiful brown eyes. There are two reasons for me wanting to stay,' she thought taking another sip of her drink. 'These amazing chocolate milkshakes and the gorgeous Class President Regina Mills.'

She took another glance over her shoulder towards the back booth and saw Ruby passing the food out to the ones at the table. Before she could take her eyes away, she saw Ruby pointing over to her. Confused, she just continued to drink her milkshake.

"Are you willing to give this place a chance, Ems?" questioned Rebecca.

"Yeah. Probably just for the milkshakes," Emma replied with a smirk.

'And for the 'Queen'.'

Not even two minutes later, Emma thought to herself once again, _'OH. MY. GOD! That bell is super annoying. It has got to go before I break it with my bare hands!'_

"Rebecca, hello, again. This is my husband, David. And you must be Emma!" a short woman with a pixie haircut sweetly said to the new faces of the town.

 _'This must be Mary Margaret... she seems way too happy. I don't like it...'_

"It's good to see you again, Mary Margaret. It's nice to meet you, David," Rebecca said, just as sweetly.

 _'This is making me physically sick. Why is Rebecca acting this way? She never acts like this. She's never sweet. Not even to me, which is why we got along so well when I first met her.'_

Just as Mary Margaret and David turned to talk to her, Emma said, "Excuse me. Ruby, where's the bathroom?"

 _'I have to get away. Now!'_

"Just through the double doors, straight in the back," Ruby responded quickly.

"Thank you!" Emma said as she darted off.

 _'This feeling is worse than all the other time I've met my foster parents. Others have been sweet. Rebecca has been sweet before. I don't know why this feels so different. Is it because I want this to last? Is it because I want this family? Why do I have such high expectations? This is my sixth 'family' since January. You know, what? I'm going to go back out there and be myself. If they don't like it, they don't have to keep me. I'm my own person. They can't change me,'_ Emma thought, pacing. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the bathroom door open and someone walk in.

"Excuse me, but are you, Emma?"

Emma jumped but quickly calmed because she recognized the voice. She only heard her speak once, but she was good at remembering voices. She stopped pacing and slowly spun towards Regina.

"Yes. And you are?" She didn't want to seem like a stalker by knowing her name.

"I'm Regina. Um, I'm supposed to give you a tour of the school on Wednesday. Because I'm, uh... I'm the... the class president... of the sophomore class.

 _'Why is she nervous? Do I make her nervous?'_

"I just thought I'd introduce myself before Wednesday so that we're not complete strangers then," Regina continued with a chuckle.

"That's pretty smart. But, I'm guessing, that's why you're class president," Emma shyly flirted.

 _'Why the hell am I flirting? Yeah, I like her, but that doesn't mean she likes me back. She's just being nice. She kinda has to because she is the mayor's daughter.'_

"Kind of, heh. But that isn't the reason I became class president. It was mainly because of my mother."

 _'Did she just humbly call herself smart? That's adorable,'_ she thought with a smile that started to grow.

"Oh. You only became class president because your mom is mayor? Not because you earned it?" Emma asked, losing her smile.

"Sort of. How did you know my mother is mayor?"

"Ruby said it when... you two... walked... in..."

 _'Damn it! Can't you just stop embarrassing yourself in front of this cute girl?'_ Emma chastised herself.

"Oh, that's right."

"I'm sorry. I have to go back to Rebecca, Mary Margaret, and David. I'll see you Wednesday, Regina."

"Ok. Bye, Emma."


	6. The Long Awaited Day

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"Maybe you two can have some alone time in the bathroom."

"Z, I'm not going to talk to her while she's using the toilet."

"Maybe she's not using the toilet. Maybe she got freaked by Mr. and Mrs. Nolan. They are kinda perky," Jefferson put his two cents in.

"Fine, I'll talk to her now," she replied with hesitancy.

Regina walked the few feet from the table she sat at, to the double doors that led to the bathroom. She didn't dare to turn around, knowing that she would lose her nerve the second she saw her two best friends smirking at her.

 _'Well, Jefferson was right. She's not using the toilet. She's even prettier up close. I didn't get this close before when I first saw her. I have to say something before she turns toward the door and catches me staring at her,'_ Regina thought as she walked through the door and saw Emma pacing.

"Excuse me, but are you, Emma?"

She could see that Emma jumped slightly, but that didn't stop Emma from slowly turning around to face Regina.

"Yes. And you are?" Emma asked back with a raised eyebrow.

 _'Wow. She's kind of rude, but that's understandable. A person that she has never talked to before knows her name. It's upsetting that she doesn't know my name. Wait a minute. She's new to town, surely she doesn't know my name yet. It's not like she's been obsessing over me like I've been obsessing over her.'_

"I'm Regina. Um, I'm supposed to give you a tour of the school on Wednesday. Because I'm, uh, I'm the... the class president... of the sophomore class."

 _'Why am I a stuttering mess? I've been raised better than that. I'm never supposed to show weakness. And nervousness is a weakness.'_

"I just thought I'd introduce myself before Wednesday so that we're not complete strangers then," Regina continued with more confidence than before. She ended with a chuckle, due to some nervousness creeping up.

"That's pretty smart. But, I'm guessing, that's why you're the class president," Emma replied shyly.

 _'Is she flirting with me? No, that would be too good to be true. I'm just going to play it off as nothing.'_

"Kind of, heh. But that isn't the reason I became class president. It was mainly because of my mother."

She saw Emma start to smile, but it quickly disappeared as she asked, "Oh. You became class president because your mom is mayor? Not because you earned it?"

"Sort of."

 _'Wait a second.'_

"How did you know my mother was mayor?"

"Ruby said it when... you two... walked... in..."

 _'Did I just make her nervous? If I did, I'm proud of myself. So, she probably was flirting before.'_

"Oh, that's right," Regina said with a small smile on her face, slightly still in her thoughts.

"I'm sorry. I have to go back to Rebecca, Mary Margaret, and David. I'll see you Wednesday, Regina," Emma said as she headed for the door.

 _'Don't go! I still want to talk to you,'_ she thought, but she couldn't force her mouth to say those words.

"Ok. Bye, Emma," came out instead. Her back was still facing the door when it firmly closed shut.

Closing her eyes, Regina berated herself. _'Why did she run off? Did something I say scare her off? It doesn't matter. I'm going to back out there and finish my salad that Zelena and Jefferson didn't let me finish.'_

Wednesday morning, like all other mornings, Regina woke up before her alarm went off at 6:15. That thing that made today different from all the others, was her thoughts.

 _'I'm going to show Emma around the school today. Em-ma. Her green eyes are amazing. I didn't realize this the other day, but I really got lost in them.'_ She flung the covers off her body when her alarm started going off. She pressed the button to turn it off and headed to her dressers. _'This part of my day will always stay the same. Get out of bed, take a shower, eat breakfast, and then go to school. I do have to go see Mr. Gold today, though. But then I'll see Emma.'_

As she walked into the school, Regina didn't care about all the stares she got. She was so focused on getting to Mr. Gold's office, that she didn't hear walk up to her.

"Hey, babe," Daniel whispered, which made Regina jump. In his normal voice, he continued, "Where are you going? Your locker is on the other side of the school."

"You remember one thing, but you forget another," Regina replied with a small smile. "I have to go to Mr. Gold's office to give the new girl a tour."

"Oh. Right. Well, I gotta get to my locker. I'll see you at lunch. Have fun with the new girl."

A few minutes later, Regina found herself right outside Mr. Gold's office.

 _'It's time to do this. Hopefully, this won't be as boring as I thought. It probably won't because Emma isn't boring... I think.'_

She knocked on the door and entered after she was given the go-ahead.

"Regina Mills, glad you could join us. This is Emma Swan. She has just joined us from Tallahassee, Florida, and she needs to be shown around. Even though she is a year older than the rest of the sophomore class, she is going to be a part of your grade," Mr. Gold directed to Regina. "Hopefully, as class president, you are up to the job of escorting her today. You won't have to worry about being late to class because she has the same schedule as you. Can you handle this, Miss Mills?"

"Of course, Mr. Gold." She aimed her attention to the person that was continuously on Regina's mind, "It's wonderful to meet you, Em-ma."

"Likewise, Regina. Bye, Mary Margaret. See you in class later."

 _'Why is Mrs. Nolan here? My mother would have told me if Mrs. Nolan had a daughter.'_

"Don't forget, you have to call me Ms. Blan-, I mean, Mrs. Nolan, when we see each other again," Mrs. Nolan replied to Emma.

 _'She's still not used to her married name.'_

"Got it. I'll remember. Bye, Mr. Gold." Finally, Emma directed her green eyes back to the brown pair that belonged to Regina. "Are you ready?"

 _'Am I ready? I've been ready since we first talked.'_

Even though Regina had those thoughts in her head, she replied with, "Yes. Let's start your tour."

 _'Emma's laugh is beautiful. It's so melodic.'_

"Oh, look. There's Ruby," Emma said pointing down the hall while calming her laugh. "Hey, Ruby!"

 _'Oh, no. Killian is there too. Why did I have to push Jefferson away before?'_

"Hey, Emma! Hey, Regina!" Ruby bounded down the hallway while holding on to Belle's hand, inadvertently dragging her behind. "Emma, you remember Bells, right?"

"Of course. How are you, Belle?"

 _'There he is. Captain Guyliner. Can't he tone it down a little?'_

"I'm good, thanks, Emma. Have you met Killian yet?"

"No, we haven't. But that's probably because Miss Bitch here, hates me," Killian answered staring at Regina.

Glaring back, Regina said back, "I don't hate you, Killian. I just can't stand you."

 _'I have to hide my emotions. I've been taught by the best, my mother.'_

"Ok, guys. Stop showing your bad sides to the newbie. Emma looks confused," Ruby jokingly stopped the soon-to-be verbal war.

"I always look confused, though," Emma replied with a chuckle. "It's nothing new."

"Well, to clear the confusion, at least for a while," Belle started, "Regina and Killian don't like each other because-"

"Belle!" Regina yelled, getting Belle to stop talking. "It doesn't matter. It's in the past and nothing can change it."

 _'I don't want Emma to know that Killian, at only fifteen, is a drunk. She doesn't have to know that he killed my dad during a drunk joyride in my mother's car. I have to stop thinking about him right now. No, the memories are overpowering, now. We just passed a bathroom. I have to go.'_

"Are you-" Emma was starting to ask, but before she could finish her question, Regina ran off. "Regina!"

As Regina sprinted to the closest bathroom, she heard Ruby say to everyone, "I got her. Don't say anything."

As soon as the bathroom closed, it opened again due to Ruby.

"I don't want to talk about him, Ruby."

"I know."

"... he's gone. It's in the past." Regina's cracked on the next few words, "I miss him."

"I know. Belle can be a ditz at times. She didn't mean any harm. You know that she's a good-hearted person," Ruby said with a small smile.

"Yes. I do know that. I'm not mad at her. I'm mad at that stupid Captain Guyliner."

Chuckling along with Regina, Ruby continued with her little pep talk. "Let's go back out there, with our heads held high, ignore Captain Guyliner, and go to the cafeteria to eat lunch."

"Agreed."

"Awesome. And didn't I say Emma was cool? I saw you enjoying the time you were spending with her."

 _'Hopefully, she can't tell how much I enjoy my time with her.'_

"Ignoring both you and Captain Guyliner, while we're walking to lunch."

As the door opened and Regina and Ruby walked out, Ruby laughed loudly which raised her spirit a little.


	7. That Missing Tuesday

**AN: This chapter is longer than all the other ones. I couldn't find the right way to end it. It didn't help that I had a ton of ideas of where I wanted this chapter to go.  
** **Thank you, everyone, for the kind reviews! You are so sweet.  
** **I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

As Emma walked out of the bathroom, she felt infinitely calmer. She didn't know that made her feel better, what gave her the courage to actually talk to her new foster parents.

"Sorry," she started with a chuckle. "Too much milkshake."

Mary Margaret's and David's reaction was exactly the same. They both laughed then said, "It's ok."

 _'Wow, I must say, they are quite perfect for each other. They said the same thing at the same time. That might get annoying.'_

"Oh, my God! That's the first time that has happened for a few months!" David said to no one in particular.

 _'Never mind. I can deal with it if that's the gap between times.'_

"So, Emma, what do you think about checking out your new home?"

"Sure, Mary Margaret. Let's go." As Rebecca paid for the food that was ordered, Mary Margaret and David headed for the door. Emma followed the three adults, but before she made her way outside, she looked towards the back of the diner. She watched Regina walk through the double doors. As their eyes met for the last time that day, Emma gave her a small smile.

* * *

"Bread, triple word score on D and double letter score on B for... 33 points."

"But, Ems, that's such a simple word," whined Rebecca.

"And I got 33 points for it. Suck it up, Rebecca. I'm just better than you." Chuckling Emma added, "Not my fault you played 'NOOB' for 18 points."

Rebecca huffed, "Just tell us the scores so far."

"I'm in the lead with 33 points, Mary Margaret has 24, you have 18, and David has 17. At least you're not losing," she said poking David.

"Hey! I went first. I'm lucky I had the Y for 'FUNNY,'" David countered.

"That's not an excuse. We literally started 10 minutes ago, and I almost have twice as many points as you."

"Is she always such a know-it-all?" Mary Margaret asked.

As David said, "Probably," Rebecca said, "Yes."

"Hey! You don't know me, David. At least, not yet," Emma said without a second thought.

 _'Wow, do I feel this comfortable with them already? So comfortable that I want them to get to know me? I haven't even known them for a full three hours yet. It's only 6:15. Wait, when is dinner?'_

Emma decided to stop the useless bickering between herself, her new foster parents, and her social worker with, "When's dinner?"

"How did you go from Scrabble points to dinner in less than two seconds?" May Margaret questioned.

When Emma stared blankly at Mary Margaret, Rebecca answered, "She always has food on her mind."

"Oh, just like David. He's always hungry," Mary Margaret added with a loving smile aimed at her husband. "I guess we'll call this a game, and I'll start making something." She got off the couch to head to the kitchen.

"Yes! I WON!"

"We only played one word each, Ems."

"That doesn't matter, Rebecca. We each played a word, so it's fair."

"Fine. Whatever you say, kid."

"Exactly. I won. Fair and square."

Mary Margaret said, "Um... bad news, guys. We don't have anything to make for dinner. How does pizza sound?"

"Pizza? Do you know what pizza is?" Emma asked, while Rebecca groaned and facepalmed. "It's the second best thing ever made after grilled cheese sandwiches! I LOVE pizza!"

"You're going to want to get pizza very rarely. As you can see, she really loves pizza."

"Noted, Rebecca," David said.

"Darn. But fine. You win THIS time, Rebecca."

* * *

As Emma laid in a new bed, in a new apartment, in a new town, she couldn't help but feel giddy.

 _'I like Mary Margaret and David. They're fun and interesting. They told me I'm starting school on Wednesday, which is the same thing that Regina said. What am I supposed to do all day tomorrow? Rebecca is leaving in the morning. I doubt that Mary Margaret and David trust me to be alone in the apartment. I also doubt that they'll let me roam around town by myself. Hopefully, Wednesday goes well. I really don't want to get into anything that might force Mary Margaret and David to kick me out. I really like them. I really like this town, so far.'_

With those thoughts, Emma fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Emma woke up at 5:30.

 _'Oh, come on! It's the only day I might have been able to sleep in, and now I can't because my body wants to betray me.'_

She got out of bed anyway and headed towards the stairs. As she got to the top she heard music, singing, and laughter.

"This is the complete opposite of what I'm used to from the other homes. This feels completely natural, though.'

David was the first to see her when she got to the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, Emma. We didn't wake you, did we?"

"No, my body just decided to wake up now," she replied with a chuckle.

"I'm making pancakes if you want some. There are eggs too."

Emma nodded, then sat next to Rebecca at the counter, who was nodding off. "Did she tell you when she was leaving?"

Mary Margaret took the eggs out of the fridge and handed them to David. "She said she was leaving for Boston at 8. David was thinking that you could go to his work for the day. I don't know if anyone told you, but he's sheriff."

"Yeah, I thought that it'd be a good way of letting you explore Storybrooke."

"While still keeping an eye on me?" Emma asked with a teasing smirk.

"Slightly," David said back with a laugh. "I kinda don't want you to get lost. And it'll be safer with the sheriff."

"I don't have to ride in the back, right?"

"Only if you break the law, Em."

"I'll make sure to do that," she said jokingly. "When do you have to get to the high school, Mary Margaret?" The two adults that were awake stared at her as if she was psychic. "Ruby told me yesterday at the diner when she overheard that you guys are my new foster parents," Emma clarified.

"Oh. That makes sense. So, you already knew that David was sheriff?" Emma nodded in response. "I have to leave at 6:30 to get there before 7. David usually leaves for work at 7."

As Emma nodded again, a question popped into her head. "What time would I have to be at school tomorrow?"

"Oh. The first class starts at 7:45. David could drop you off tomorrow, right, honey?"

"Of course. But if I do a good job with the tour, Emma could probably walk there herself, like you do."

"What time would I leave?"

"It takes about," David started, looking at his wife for the answer, "ten to fifteen minutes? Right?"

"Just about. I'm going to go take my shower now. See you soon."

Emma and David were silent while they ate their food. They tried to wake Rebecca by sticking her plate by her face. She woke up for all of fifteen minutes to eat her food, very slowly. As soon as Mary Margaret walked back into the kitchen, Rebecca's head had hit her arms as she fell back asleep.

"You should take her when you leave for work," Mary Margaret said as she finished getting all her work supplies together.

At 6:50, Emma was finally able to get Rebecca to stay awake. By the time 7 rolled around, David was trying to get everyone out of the apartment.

"I usually drive my truck to the station and back home, so that the deputies have the patrol car during my off hours," David informed Emma. "Hey, Rebecca, do you think you could stay awake for the drive over to the station?" he teased her.

"Yes, David. Now, you have to get to work, so drive."

"Yes, ma'am." David started his truck and pulled out of the spot. He made a left at the corner. "Hey, Em, coming up is the high school on the right. It's not that far from the apartment."

 _'Can I see her? Is that...? It is! Regina is right there! And now... she's gone. And now... we're gone. Drove right by, and I didn't even get to see her face. It's ok. I'll maybe see her later. And if not, I'll definitely see her tomorrow. For my tour.'_

"And we're here! Traffic was lighter than usual. took me seven instead of the usual ten minutes." David commented as he got out of the truck and led the way into the station.

"David! There you are~ I've been waiting for you," a woman said. Emma believed she was Regina's mother if her gift for voices was right.

"Mayor Mills, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Is there something you need me to do?" David asked, confirming Emma's talent.

"Yes, I need those reports filed. I need them finished by the end of your workday."

"Of course, Madam Mayor. It completely slipped my mind. It won't happen again, and I'll have them done."

"Thank you, David. You know where to find me." As Mayor Mills walked by Emma and Rebecca, she stopped at the teen. "Who might you be?"

 _'Why do I feel so nervous? She's the mayor, duh!'_

"I'm Emma Swan. I'm David's and Mary Margaret's foster child. I got here yesterday."

"Why are you not at school, Miss Swan?" The way the mayor said her name sent chills down Emma's back. She felt uncomfortable, and not in the way she was used to with her previous foster parents.

"I was told that I was going to start tomorrow." As Emma was talking, she felt that she had to speak properly. She felt like the mayor would have David arrest her for not doing so.

 _'I don't feel this way around Regina. Regina seemed so much more relaxed, yet uptight at the same time. It was like an uptight sort of relaxed.'_

"Is that so?" Mayor Mills looked at David for confirmation, which he gave. "So be it. Which grade will you be entering, dear?" She focused her attention back on Emma.

"Sophomore year, ma'am."

The mayor gave a slight smile at the use of the professional title. "So, my daughter is going to give you a tour around the school. It's about time that school puts my daughter's potential to use. Goodbye, now, Miss Swan."

"Goodbye, Mayor Mills."

After the door to the outside closed, Rebecca said, "What am I, invisible?"

After David and Emma calmed down from their laughing fit, which Rebecca eventually joined, David congratulated Emma, "I'm proud of you. Usually, no one can get the "emotionless Cora Mills" to smile at their first meeting."

"Thanks, David."

* * *

After a long day of touring the town in the patrol car with David, Emma was finally able to relax on the couch and let all the information she learned sink in.

 _'The important things. From the apartment: the school is down the street and hang a left, and Regina's house is two streets down, take a right, and then another street. It's the biggest house on the block, shouldn't be able to miss it. Now, the park is a left after I pass the school and down one street. Granny's Diner is halfway between Regina's house and here. This is all quite simple, actually.'_

"Hey, Emma. Do you like to go running?" David asked.

"Yeah. But right now, not really in the mood for it."

With a laugh, he answered, "That's fine. I was thinking, in the morning, we could go running around 5:15, be back by 6, maybe. Mary Margaret will have breakfast ready by the time we get back."

"Sounds perfect. I'm gonna head to bed, then. Goodnight, David." As she passed the kitchen to get to the stairs, she said goodnight to Mary Margaret as well.

 _'Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I can tell.'_

* * *

Emma had her alarm set to go off at 5. She got out of bed and got dressed. As she went down the stairs, she was able to see David getting two water bottles filled with water ready.

"Hey, David. Are you ready?"

"Just a second, Em. I was thinking we could run to the park, then to the station, then back here. It'll be about an hour. You know, including stretching."

"Whatever is easiest for you. If that's what you normally do, it's fine with me."

"Awesome! You're gonna lead the way, though. It's gonna be like a quiz."

"Ok. Wait, I'm not 100% sure about the station, though."

"That's fine. If you make a mistake, we'll fix it."

"Cool. Are you ready yet?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

At 6:10, David and Emma came in from their run all sweaty. They looked around the apartment trying to find Mary Margaret.

"I guess she went to take her shower. She made eggs, bacon, and toast. She's such a sweetie," David said about his wife.

"Sweet, food!" Emma exclaimed as she piled her plate with food then sat at the counter.

By the time Mary Margaret finished her shower and entered the kitchen, Emma was finishing her second plate of food.

"Good morning. Are you ready for school?" Mary Margaret asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be. Wanna take your shower first, David?"

David nodded, already heading off to the bathroom.

"How was your run? I don't like to run, so David is usually alone on those," Mary Margaret chuckled.

"It was good. He made me lead the way. He said it was like a quiz."

"Good. You didn't get lost, right?"

"Nope. I knew where everything was. I'm getting the hang of the town already."

"It's like you were meant to be here," Mary Margaret said as she got her work supplies ready.

 _'Did she mean that? She must have because she said it without a second thought. And I have to agree with her. I have been feeling a sense of home since I got here. Probably because everyone I met is so welcoming.'_

David entered the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Shower is all yours, Em."

"Ok. Well, you'll probably be gone by the time I get out, so I'll see you late at school Mary Margaret."

"I'll meet you at the stairs so that I could bring you to Mr. Gold's office."

"Sounds good."

* * *

"Enter!"

The door opened and Regina entered the office.

"Regina Mills, glad you could join us. This is Emma Swan. She has just joined us from Tallahassee, Florida, and she needs to be shown around."

 _'This dude needs to stop talking. I just wanna talk to Regina.'_

"Even though she is a year older than the rest of the sophomore class, she is going to be a part of your grade. Hopefully, as class president, you are up to the job of escorting her today."

 _'Really, Mr. Gold? Are you really doubting her right now?'_

"You won't have to worry about being late to class because she has the same schedule as you. Can you handle this, Miss Mills?" Mr. Gold ended his mini-speech.

"Of course, Mr. Gold."

 _'Finally, she's looking at me.'_

"It's wonderful to meet you, Em-ma." It sounded like Regina purred her name.

 _'Oh. My. God. I love the way she says my name. Focus! I need to respond to her.'_

"Likewise, Regina."

 _'Now, say goodbye to Mary Margaret.'_

"Bye, Mary Margaret. See you in class later."

"Don't forget, you have to call me Ms. Blan- I mean, Mrs. Nolan when we see each other again."

"Got it. I'll remember. Bye, Mr. Gold."

 _'Finally, I can give Regina my undivided attention.'_

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. Let's start your tour."

* * *

 _'Regina is so funny. Everything she says makes me laugh. I don't want this day to end.'_

"Oh, look. There's Ruby," she pointed down the hallway. "Hey, Ruby!"

"Hey, Emma! Hey, Regina!" she said dragging Belle down the hall.

 _'Who is that guy with them? It looks, even from this far that he has too much eyeliner on. Way too much.'_

"Emma, you remember Belle, right?"

"Of course. How are you, Belle?"

"I'm good, thanks, Emma. Have you met Killian, yet?"

"No, we haven't. But that's because Miss Bitch, here, hates me," Killian said.

 _'What the hell is going on with eyeliner guy? Hey, "Guyliner." That's a good nickname for him. But what's with his attitude toward Regina? That's not cool.'_

"I don't hate you, Killian. I just can't stand you."

Ruby calmed everyone down when she said, "Ok, guys. Stop showing your bad sides to the newbie. Emma looks confused."

With a chuckle, Emma replied, "I always look confused, though. It's nothing new."

"Well, to clear the confusion, at least for a while, Regina and Killian don't like each other because -"

"Belle!" Regina cut her off. "It doesn't matter. It's the past and nothing can change it."

 _'What has Regina so worked up? Something Killian did must have made this happen. I need to make sure she's ok.'_

"Are you -" she started, but Regina ran off. "Regina!"

"I got her," Ruby said as she started going after the class president. She focused on Belle and said, "Don't say anything."

"Tell her I'm sorry," Belle said just as Ruby went through the bathroom door. "Killian, you have to do something."

"What could I possibly do? He's dead. I can't bring him back."

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Nothing. It's between Regina and Killian," Belle tried to assure Emma. It didn't work. "You could stop being an ass to her. She just lost her dad. She's not a bitch."

 _'What the hell did Killian do? Regina doesn't have a dad anymore? That sucks. I know how it feels to not have a parent. Clearly, no one wanted me to know this. I'll pretend I didn't know. I hope Ruby can calm her down. Not to be rude, but she promised we'd get lunch, and I'm starving. Rebecca was right. I do always have food on my mind.'_

Emma heard the door open and Ruby's laugh filled the hallway.

 _'I guess she's doing a little better if she made Ruby laugh.'_

"Emma, are you hungry? Let's go to lunch."

"Sounds perfect, Regina. Lead the way."


	8. Lunch Time

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

Ruby, Belle, and Killian walked ahead of Regina and Emma.

"Do you wanna sit with us or with Regina?" Belle asked, looking back at the pair.

"You don't sit together? I thought since... the majority of you were friends, you'd sit together," Emma said hesitantly.

 _'She's been awkward. Belle usually listens to Ruby about keeping quiet. Did Killian say anything? Is Captain Guyliner a blabbermouth as well as a drunk?'_

"Well, Regina's boyfriend doesn't really like Killian, as well," Belle said.

"He used to be my friend, but then he started dating Miss... Stick-Up-Her-Ass."

 _'Why does Emma look so sad? Probably because she doesn't know that he does this all the time.'_

"Hey, Regina. How much does food usually cost here?" Emma asked.

"Average, $5. Could be more, could be less. Depends on what you get. Come on, I'll show you around in there."

"Thank you, Regina."

* * *

"Bye, Ruby, Belle, and Killian. See you later, maybe."

"Later, Emma!" Ruby said back, while she led her friends to their table and Regina brought Emma over to Jefferson and Zelena.

"Z, Jefferson, this is Emma. Emma, this is Zelena and Jefferson."

"Oh. So you finally found the balls to talk to her, huh?"

"Shut up, Jefferson," Regina snapped, sitting down. She patted the space next to her, silently telling Emma to sit down. She shyly sat down, while trying to hide her laugh, but Regina saw her lips twitch.

"Isn't that seat usually reserved for your boy toy?" Zelena asked with a smirk on her face.

"Who?" Regina slowly shifted her gaze to Zelena. "Daniel? No! He can sit wherever he wants!" Regina quickly came to her senses when she saw the smirk. "He's not my boy toy. He's my boyfriend."

"Is there a difference?" Regina nodded. "Ok. Whatever you say, Regina." Zelena aimed her next question to Emma," Why did you move here to Storybrooke?"

 _'I didn't even think of asking her that. I didn't really care where she came from.'_

"Well, I'm a foster kid. Well, technically, an orphan. My parents died in a car crash when I was 2 months old. I've been living from home to home since. I most recently moved from Tallahassee, Florida."

 _'She's an orphan. I don't really have a reason to complain about my dad then. At least I still have my mother.'_

"I'm sorry, Emma. If there's anything that you need, we're here for you."

"Thank you so much, Reg-"

"Hey, baby," Daniel said walking up to the table. When he realized someone was in his seat, he angrily spat, "Who are you, and why the hell are you sitting in my seat?"

"I'm Emma. It's nice to meet you," she replied confused at his anger. She slowly started to move from the space she was in.

"Well, I've never seen you before in my life. Get away from me and my friends! Get the hell out of my face!"

"Daniel!" Regina yelled. "Why are you being so rude to her? She's the new girl. The one I was giving a tour to. I told you this morning. Don't you remember?"

"Well, she's in my seat and hasn't moved," Daniel whined.

"If you had given me a chance, I would've moved," Emma said, fully standing up. "Idiot," she added under her breath.

Everyone looked at Daniel expectantly while Emma sat down and tried to eat her pasta. "What? Do you want me to apologize? That's not gonna happen! She was rude, too!"

 _'What the hell is going on in his head? She wasn't rude to him. She might've talked back, but that was because he yelled at her.'_

"I'm gonna go sit with Ruby. She'll walk me to my next class. See you then, Regina. Bye, Jefferson. Bye, Zelena." As Emma walked away, Regina frowned. After she saw Emma sit down at Ruby's table, she focused on Daniel and glared.

"Finally, she's gone. What? She was in my seat! Who the hell let her sit in my seat in the first place?"

"I did, Daniel. And if you weren't such an ass all the time, you would know that this isn't YOUR seat. Anyone could sit there. Stop being so selfish." With that, Regina stood and walked over to Ruby's table, Zelena and Jefferson not far behind. "May we sit with you?"

"Yeah, her boy toy is being an ass, as usual."

 _'Could Zelena stop calling him that? He's not going to be my boyfriend for much longer if he keeps acting this way. And Emma doesn't seem comfortable when Zelena calls him my "boy toy." She kind of seems disgusted. Why is that?'_

"Of course. Mi table es su table," Ruby said with a laugh to the three just as Daniel walked up.

"You," he said, pointing to Emma, "leave. I need to talk to MY GIRLFRIEND. Alone."

"Look, Daniel. I don't know what your problem is, but I would just like to eat my lunch in peace. You can't be that much of an ass to stop someone from eating," Emma calmly said back.

"You can eat. By yourself. In the corner. Where you belong. Surely, you'll get some peace there."

"I think I'm good here."

Regina didn't know how the next part happened, but suddenly Emma had pasta sauce all over her face and shirt. In another second, Emma was on the floor with Daniel punching her arms as she defended her face. Ruby grabbed Daniel by his collar and pulled him off Emma.

"If you lay another finger on my friend, Daniel," Ruby growled when he started squirming in her grasp, "you won't have any fingers left. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it."

"Good. Now walk away before I end you." After he walked away, Ruby turned to Emma and helped her up. "Are you ok? Oh, my God! You're bleeding!"

"It doesn't feel like it. It could be the sauce from when he threw my plate at me," Emma tried to reassure Ruby and everyone else.

 _'That looks like blood right under her eye. I should take her to the nurse. And let Mrs. Nolan know. She's probably Emma's guardian now. That explains why she was in Gold's office earlier.'_

"I'll take her to the nurse. Ruby, could you tell Mrs. Nolan that I'm taking her there?" Regina asked, trying to keep her calm in the situation, just as her mother taught her.

"Of course. I have her right after lunch."

"I thought you did. Thank you. Come one, Emma. Let's get you to the nurse."

"I'm fine. I don't think I'm bleeding," she protested but still allowed Regina to drag her along. "I still didn't get to eat."

* * *

20 minutes into the class, Regina walked in with a note from the nurse. She handed the note to the teacher, then walked to the back of the room to her desk next to Zelena.

"So... how is the object of your affection?" Zelena asked with a permanent smirk on her face.

Without thinking, Regina replied, "Emma is doing ok. Daniel's ring broke the skin right under her eye, so Ruby was right. She was bleeding."

"I knew you liked her," Zelena accusingly said.

"What?" Thinking back to what Zelena had said, Regina responded, "Oh, no, no, no. No. No. That... that's not what I meant. I wasn't thinking when you asked your question before. I'm distracted."

"Right. Because the person you like is in the nurse's office."

"Exactly. Wait, no. No! Well, yes, but no. Of course, I like her. She's a good person, from what I've seen. But I don't like her like that."

"Zelena! Regina!" the teacher called out to them. "Would you like to stop talking and pay attention to the class?"

"Yes. Sorry, Mr. Booth. It won't happen again," Regina replied. Quieter, she said to her best friend, "Shut up. My mother won't approve if I get in trouble."

"Sorry."

 _'Zelena shouldn't be able to read me this easily. It's not fair. Mother has also taught me better than that to hide my emotions. I think I should break up with Daniel. He's not the same person. He changed when my dad died. It's like he's guilty about something, and he's acting out about it.'_

Emma walked into the class with a note and handed it to Mr. Booth.

"Glad that you could finally join us, Emma. Take any open seat."

"Thanks." Emma quickly glanced around the room and headed towards the open seat next to Zelena.

 _'Zelena probably doesn't want to get into trouble with Mr. Booth again. Emma must be miserable. Her left cheek is starting to bruise up.'_

"Don't forget, you and your partner have to come to me with your idea for your project by Friday. One pair will now have three people. Emma has to join a group. Get going to your next class now," Mr. Booth said, dismissing everyone.

"Hey, Emma, why don't you join me and Regina?"

"Um, sure, if you're ok with it, Regina."

"Well, are you ok with it?" Zelena asked her smirk still there.

"Yes, yes, Miss Swan. I'm perfectly fine with it."

"Who are you? Your mother?" Zelena questioned jokingly.

"Why? What did I say?"

"You called me Miss Swan. Your mom called me that when I officially met her," Emma responded. "It felt... completely normal, yet weird all at the same time."

"Sorry, about that. I tend to get extra formal when I'm distracted. We should get to study hall. It's a free period. We can talk our project over."

"Sounds perfect, Regina. As always, lead the way."

* * *

 _'Poor Emma. Now her eye is starting to bruise because of the trauma she received. I'm done with Daniel. I can't date someone who readily punches someone they've just met. She didn't even fight back which means one of two things. One, Emma didn't want to fight back and hurt him. Or, two, Daniel attacked someone who couldn't fight back. Either one shows Daniel negatively or Emma positively. I'm pretty sure it was the first one because she defended herself quite easily. I've made my choice. I'm breaking up with Daniel.'_

"Hey, guys," Jefferson said sitting next to Emma. Looking over at her, he winced, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, he got in a lucky punch. It's getting kinda hard to see out of my left eye now, though. It's probably bruising now, right?"

"Let me see, Emma," Ruby said gently grabbing her chin.

 _'Let go of her chin. Don't get too close to her. I should be the only one doing that.'_ Regina thought jealously. Mentally chiding herself, _'No. I'm not dating her. I don't even know if she likes girls.'_

"Yeah. It's getting slightly black and blue. Do you want me to go to the nurse and get ice?"

"No. If I need it, I'll get it. I know where she is."

"How about we stop talking about the past? Let's focus on the future an see what we're gonna do after school," Zelena suggested.

"Good idea. I was thinking that we could go to my house. My mother is not coming home until 5:30 tonight," Regina said, getting a nod from Killian.

"We don't have shifts today, so we can go too," Ruby said with a nod from Belle.

"We're usually at your house anyway. There's no need to ask us," Jefferson said for himself and Zelena.

"Of course. Emma, what about you?"


	9. The Secret is Out

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.  
I messed up on the time in the last chapter. I fixed it, but if you don't want to go back, I can tell you here. I changed Cora working until 7 to coming home at 5:30. The original time didn't fit with how I wrote this chapter. Sorry, if you get confused a little.  
**

"Later, Emma!" Ruby said to her as she led Belle and Killian to their table. Regina brought Emma over to her table, where two other people sat.

"Z, Jefferson, this is Emma. Emma, this is Zelena and Jefferson," Regina said pointing to each in turn.

"Oh. So you finally found the balls to talk to her, huh?" Jefferson said to Regina.

"Shut up, Jefferson," Regina snapped as she sat down. Emma tried to hide a small laugh as Regina patted the space next to her.

 _'She wants me to sit next to her? Well, where else would I sit?'_

As Emma sat down, Zelena said, "Isn't that seat usually reserved for your boy toy?"

Losing her smile, Emma looked over at Regina who was looking back at her. _'Boy toy? Is that her boyfriend that Belle mentioned?'_

"Who?" Regina slowly looked away from Emma and glanced over at Zelena. "Daniel?" Zelena nodded in response. "No! He can sit wherever he wants! He's not my boy toy. He's my boyfriend."

 _'Ok. Daniel is her boyfriend. And he usually sits next to her. Hopefully, he's not an ass because I'm sitting here.'_

"Is there a difference? Ok. Whatever you say, Regina. Why did you move here to Storybrooke?"

 _'Is she talking to me? She must be since I'm the only one who moved_ _here recently. Should I tell them everything?'_ Looking over at Regina, Emma thought, _'I can't lie to her.'_

"Well," she started, looking back at Zelena, "I'm a foster kid. Well, technically, an orphan. My parents died in a car crash when I was two months old. I've been living from home to home since. I most recently moved from Tallahassee, Florida."

"I'm sorry, Emma. If there's anything that you need, we're here for you."

Emma looked at Regina and her friends seeing them nod in agreement. "Thank you so much, Reg-"

"Hey, baby," a voice cut her off. Seeing Zelena's disgust at the newcomer, Emma could only guess that this was Daniel. "Who are you, and why the hell are you sitting in my seat?"

 _'Why is he mad at me? All I'm doing is talking and trying to eat my lunch.'_

"I'm Emma. It's nice to meet you," she said, slowly standing up.

"Well, I've never seen you before in my life. Get away from me and my friends! Get the hell out of my face!"

 _'What the hell is with this dude's anger? We've only just met.'_

"Daniel! Why are being so rude to her?"

 _'Thank you, Regina. I thought I was the only one who noticed.'_

"She's the new girl. The one I was giving a tour to. I told you this morning. Don't you remember?" she continued.

"Well, she's in my seat and hasn't moved," Daniel whined.

Rolling her eyes, Emma thought, _'Can he be any more childish? Is everything handed to him on a silver platter?'_

"If you had given me a chance, I would've moved." As she completely stood with her tray in her hand, Emma muttered, "Idiot."

Finding another seat next to Jefferson, she sat down. As she started to twist some pasta onto her fork, Daniel suddenly said, "What? Do you want me to apologize? That's not gonna happen! She was rude, too!"

 _'Um, no I wasn't. And if I was, two wrongs don't make a right.'_

Dropping her fork, Emma suddenly stood up saying, "I'm gonna go sit with Ruby. She'll walk me to my next class. See you then, Regina." As she passed her two new friends, she said, "Bye, Jefferson. Bye, Zelena." Emma was so upset that she didn't even look back at Regina like she usually did. But the farther she got from Regina's table, the more she felt she was being watched.

 _'I really don't like this guy. Why is Regina dating an ass like that?'_

"Hey, Ruby. Do you think I could sit with you guys?"

"Sure. But what happened over there? Jefferson and Zelena teased you?" Ruby asked.

"No. Daniel is... I don't know how to explain him. He's..."

"An ass?" Belle finished as Emma finally sat down next to Killian.

"Yeah. He's definitely an ass." Emma felt Killian stiffen at her words.

"May we sit with you?" Emma looked up to see Regina along with her best friends.

"Yeah. Her boy toy is being an ass, as usual." Zelena sat down, Jefferson copying her.

 _'I guess everyone thinks he's an ass. How many people does he piss off?'_

"Of course. Mi table es su table," Ruby laughed while Belle shook her head at her girlfriend's words.

"You, leave," Daniel angrily said. "I need to talk to MY GIRLFRIEND. Alone."

 _'I guess he's talking to me. If he wants to talk to her alone, why is he telling only me to leave?'_

"Look, Daniel. I don't know what your problem is, but I would like to eat my lunch in peace. You can't be that much of an ass to stop someone from eating."

 _'I can't believe I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.'_

"You can eat. By yourself. In the corner. Where you belong. Surely, you'll get some peace there."

 _'Ok. Wow. He's a complete ass.'_

"I think I'm good here."

Emma felt more than saw Daniel grab her plate and spill her food all over the front of her body.

 _'He did not just throw this perfectly good food all over me!'_

Then, she felt a fist connect with her face. She hit the floor with a thud and lifted her arms to protect her face from any more damage.

 _'I am not going to let him win. I am not going to give Mary Margaret and David a reason to kick me out. Daniel will not be able to make me leave. And he is not going to get me to fight back right now. He could use that against me. Hold on, did he get tired of punching my arms?'_

Emma opened her eyes to see Ruby push him against the wall. She couldn't hear what Ruby said due to Emma's heartbeat in her ears. The next thing she realized was Daniel walking away and Ruby helping her up.

"Are you ok?" Even though Emma nodded, Ruby still checked her over. "Oh, my God! You're bleeding!"

 _'Probably from the first and only punch he landed. I feel a little dizzy.'_

Playing it off, Emma pulled away from Ruby with a little stumble, "It doesn't feel like it. It could be the sauce from when he threw my plate at me."

"I'll take her to the nurse." Emma snapped her head over to Regina, who seemed oddly calm.

 _'I shouldn't have turned that fast,'_ Emma thought as the world spun. _'Also, how is she so freaking calm? She just saw her boyfriend punch the crap out of the new girl. Unless he does this all the time...?'_

"Ruby, could you tell Mrs. Nolan that I'm taking her there?"

"Of course. I have her right after lunch."

 _'Why is she asking Ruby to talk to Mrs. Nolan? She should be talking to Mary... oh, right. Mary Margaret is Mrs. Nolan. I must've hit my head harder than I thought.'_

"I thought you did. Thank you. Come on, Emma. Let's get you to the nurse."

"I'm fine. I don't think I'm bleeding," Emma protested but followed anyway.

 _'I'll probably follow her anywhere.'_

Embarrassed by her thoughts, Emma looked down to cover her blush. The second she saw her shirt, her blush was suddenly caused by anger, replacing the embarrassment. "I still didn't get to eat."

 _'I guess he is that much of an ass.'_

* * *

"Regina, get to class. Mary Mar- Mrs. Nolan will be here soon. I don't want you to be even later than you already are. I'll be fine," Emma pleaded.

"Ok. I'll leave when Mrs. Nolan gets here." Just as Regina finished talking, the door open to reveal Emma's new foster mom. As soon as Regina saw Mary Margaret, she muttered, "Really?" which earned a little laugh from Emma.

"Here's your pass for class Miss Mills," the nurse said forcing Regina to walk away from Emma and towards the door.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll see you later, Emma. Don't be too late."

"You, too, Regina. Bye."

"Excuse me, but could you let Emma and I talk privately for a few moments?"

The nurse nodded then left the office. "Am I gonna get yelled at for getting in a fight on my first day?"

"No, Emma. I wanted to make sure you were alright without the nurse breathing down my back. Now, that I see you are, except for right here," she tapped the spot right under Emma's left eye, causing her to flinch in pain, "I can ask, who did this?"

"Daniel... something-or-other. I don't know his last name. He's friends with Zelena, Jefferson, and Regina, though."

A look of annoyance came across Mary Margaret's face. "Do you know why he did this?"

"I was sitting in his seat at lunch, apparently. When I left to sit with Ruby, he came over and told me to sit in the corner to eat my lunch. Next thing I knew, I was covered in pasta sauce, then I was on the floor getting wailed on."

"Oh, Emma."

"Don't worry. I've been through worse. I once broke my arm in a fight. After I was released from the hospital, I got kicked out and put back into the system." Dejectedly, Emma said, "Fun times."

"Hey. You listen to me, right now. We are not going to send you back. Maybe, only if you kill someone, but that will be because you'd have gone to jail," Mary Margaret strongly stated. "We are not doing this because we want to get a government check just to house you. We are doing this because we want a child that we can raise to be a good person. A child, whose life can be better in ours."

 _'I'm pretty sure I trust Mary Margaret and David enough to tell them. Should I? I'm gonna do it.'_

"Even if that child is gay?" she asked shyly.

Not blinking, Mary Margaret responded, "Who you love doesn't matter. The only way you're getting away from David and I is if you want to leave."

"But what if that child has a crush on one of her new friends? How do you think that'll work out?"

"Emma, do you have a crush on Regina?"

"No," she said looking away with a blush going all the way up to her ears.

Mary Margaret laughed softly. Saving her from further embarrassment, she changed the subject. "Come on. I'll walk you to class. Do you know who you have now?"

"I believe I have Mr. Booth. With Regina."

* * *

 _'Stupid Daniel. Stupid eye keeps twitching. And it keeps getting harder and harder to keep my eye open. And it's just my left eye. It's probably swollen and bruised. Stupid Daniel.'_

"Are you ok?" Jefferson asked, snapping Emma out her thoughts and making her jump slightly.

"Yeah, he got in a lucky punch. It's getting kinda hard to see out of my left eye now, though. It's probably bruising now, right?"

"Let me see, Emma," Ruby said as Emma's chin was gently grabbed and tilted towards Ruby. "Yeah. It's getting slightly black and blue. Do you want me to go to the nurse and get ice?"

"No, if I need it, I'll get it. I know where she is."

 _'I just want to put my head down and sleep. I feel like passing out right now is a good idea. Maybe I can sleep for the rest of study hall. That's a great idea.'_

As Emma gently lowered her head to the table, she heard, "Emma, what about you?"

"Um... what?"

"I asked if you wanted to come over and hang out with us after school. What do you say?"

"Hang out where?"

"At my house. Where else, Emma?" Regina asked with a smile.

"Oh. Right. I... I would love to, but I already had plans on meeting Dav- Mr. Nolan at Granny's after school, during his break. I'm... I'm sorry."

"No, it's ok. Another time."

 _'Yeah. Another time,'_ Emma though sadly, as her head met the table gently.


	10. An Ending

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"No, it's ok. Another time."

Emma responded with a nod, as she placed her head on the table.

 _'She seems out of it. Did she hit her head when she fell? She would've said something to the nurse though. If she falls asleep, I'll wake her for Mrs. Nolan's lesson.'_

* * *

"Bye, Emma. Do you know where Regina lives?" Zelena asked as the big group stopped in front of Granny's Diner.

"No," Emma shook her head not even glancing towards Regina.

 _'At least she's not a stalker.'_

"It's not that hard from here, actually. Turn down this street, and it's the last house on the block. If you forget that, it's also the biggest one. It's 108 Mifflin Street."

"And why do I need to know?"

"Just in case you want to stop by after your chat with the sheriff," Zelena responded.

"Oh... yeah... sounds perfect." Emma headed to the door of the diner. She turned back to her new friends, "If I don't stop by, I'll see you tomorrow." She took one last glance at Regina and smiled.

"Why do I have the feeling she's not gonna show up later?" Ruby asked after Emma disappeared through the door.

 _'That's probably because she's not going to come.'_

"Come on. Let's get to my house before my mother gets there as well."

* * *

"This would be a lot easier if Emma was here. We could just tell her what she has to do for the project."

"Z, we still have to tell Mr. Booth what we're doing. And Emma has to agree with our idea."

"But she said she was fine with what we chose."

"Yes, if we had already chosen something already, Z. We had only just picked something."

"Fine, I'll run it by Emma tomorrow before Mr. Booth's class."

"Thank you. If I see her first-"

"KILLIAN! PUT THAT DAMN BOTTLE DOWN!"

Regina groaned. _'I thought having Jefferson here, Killian wouldn't drink so much.'_

"Regina!" Ruby stormed into the living room, with Killian stumbling behind her. "He found your mom's liquor cabinet."

"I figured he did with you yelling at him a second ago," Regina flatly said.

"Yes, well. You are going to do something with this idiot, right?"

"He's going to leave. Now."

"But this party hasn't even started yet!" Killian slurred. "All I did was open the rum. I didn't even get to the hard stuff yet."

"That's all you're going to open, Killian. Leave. Now. Before I call the sheriff on you." Regina heard the door open and close as she was speaking.

"Fine. Fine. But remember this, Miss Bitch. You. Are. A. Bitch."

Daniel walked into the living room, laughing. "How drunk are you, Killian? It's barely 4:30."

"It's five o'clock somewhere, buddy!"

 _'Buddy? Daniel hates Killian after what happened. Why are they so chummy?'_

"Hey, babe." Daniel leaned down to give Regina a kiss on the cheek, but she pulled away. Every pair of eyes in the living room widened in shock. "Is something wrong? Are you mad at me, babe?"

 _'Does he really not remember this afternoon? How he treated Emma? And now, how relaxed he is with Killian? It's like he's a completely different person.'_

"Why did you act like that at lunch?"

"Like what? I didn't do anything abnormal."

"Are you kidding me? You punched Emma! How is that normal? That's everything except normal!"

Daniel laughed. "Oh, come on, babe. That was a little hazing thing that Killian and I came up with. It didn't mean anything."

 _'Hazing? He really is a completely different person.'_

"You shouldn't have done that. That was the last straw. I'm done. You and your new buddy can leave."

"You're done?" Regina nodded. "With what? What are you done with?"

"You. Us. I'm done with this relationship, Daniel. You don't listen to me. You've changed. It's like you're a different person! I... I can't stay in this... this relationship. You... you're not my boyfriend anymore."

"I don't accept this, Regina," he whined. "You're my girlfriend! You will always be my girlfriend! You can't... you can't... you can't! You just can't break up with me! I won't allow this!"

"Hey! Do you want me to push you against the wall again, Daniel? If not, back up and stop yelling."

"Damn it, Ruby! Stay out of this!" Daniel yelled back.

"Daniel, get out," Regina said, oddly calm.

 _'I thought I would feel something if this happened. Anything but relief. This feels kind of natural, though.'_

"Don't do this to me, Regina."

"Get out, please. And take Killian with you. I don't want him killing my mother, as well."

"Let's go, Killian." Daniel headed to the front door with tears filling his eyes. "Miss Bitch doesn't want us."

"Agreed, buddy. I got my fake ID. Let's get more alcohol. I feel too sober."

The door opened and closed again. Regina took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. _'I wish Emma was here. Somehow, she calms me down. Even when I don't know I need to.'_

"Regina? Are you ok?" Jefferson asked.

 _'When did he enter the living room?'_

"Yeah." Regina opened her eyes again. "I think I need to go lie down. Can you get me at 5:30? I just need some quiet."

Zelena nodded. _'When did Belle come in? I think I need a break from all human interaction.'_ Regina walked towards the stairs to her bedroom.

* * *

"I guess you drew the short straw for comforting me?"

"Of course not. I'm a waitress. The best at Granny's. It's like my second job to comfort people." As an afterthought, Ruby added, "I should charge for this. I wouldn't have to work another day in my life."

"Then, you wouldn't be comforting people if you don't have your waitressing job at Granny's."

"How did you get so smart, Regina?"

"It's a gift," Regina laughed.

Ruby laughed along. "Ok, but seriously. Why do I have to comfort you? You were so distant after lunch, that it seemed like you knew what you were doing with Daniel."

"I did. I was. It's just... there was this time when I was able to picture the rest of my life with Daniel. Now... something has changed, and I can't do that anymore. I would love to be able to keep that pictured future, but I can't now."

"Do you know what changed? What made it impossible for you to imagine that life now?"

 _'God, why does Ruby start with asking the hard questions? It's not that I can't answer it. I know the answer. I just thought there'd be more of a build-up.'_

"Yes. No. Yes. I don't know. Everything has just gotten too hectic these past few days."

"So, you do know, you just don't want to admit it. I think I could figure it out if you give me some time. You won't have to admit to anything if I get it right."

"No! Don't guess, Ruby! Don't guess! Don't try to figure it out!" Regina pleaded. "Please, Ruby, please!"

Groaning, Regina counted the seconds of silence in her head. _'Thankfully, I have a clock in my room. Why does she always have to bug me about these things? Thirty seconds. This isn't fair. I can't tell what she's thinking. She could give my mother a run for her money with the stoic expression she has on. Forty-five seconds. How does Belle put up with this lunatic? Ruby is usually so easy to read. Is she getting lessons from my mother? She's probably better than me, right now. Sixty seconds. One minute. Wait. Is that...? It is. A smile. She's getting somewhere. That's not good. She might be close. If Zelena was able to read me that well from one interaction between Emma and I, then Ruby can definitely get it from three. Ninety seconds. One minute and thirty seconds. Now, she's smiling at me. Great. She got it in less than two minutes while it took me all of yesterday and today. How is everyone able to read me better than I am able to understand my own emotions?'_

"I think I got it. Remember, just look embarrassed if I get it," Ruby chuckled.

"Just get on with it. I want to prove you wrong."

"But if you prove me wrong, then I'm not a good friend. That means I don't care."

"No. I know you care because you are trying to figure it out. If you don't get it, that just means you're not that good at deductive reasoning, Sherlock."

"Huh. Ok. My theory is-"

"Hypothesis."

"Shut it, smarty. My theory is Emma."

Pretending to be confused, Regina asked, "Emma? Why is your hypothesis only one word? It's not even a word. It's a name."

"Emma. She's the only explanation. You said it's been hectic these past 'few days.' Emma is the only new thing these past few days. You were also completely enamored with her when she arrived. Then, today, Daniel was even more of an ass than usual, especially to Emma. And now, you broke up with him. I mean, it was a long time coming, but still."

"Wait, what do you mean 'a long time coming?'"

"Everyone thought Daniel was an ass 99% of the time, and he never remembered anything you told him, which is one of your pet peeves. Also, you're changing the subject. Am I right, or am I right?"

"Is there a third option?"

"Yeah. It's 'am I right?'" Ruby laughed.

Regina shook her head at Ruby's playfulness. _'Why can't she let this go? I really don't want to talk about this. But I guess I have to get it off my chest. Especially since I didn't want to talk to Zelena.'_

"You are so..." Regina paused, wondering if she should lie, but decided not to, "right. There's something about Emma that makes me notice all the crap that Daniel has done and how... idiotic he can be at times."

Ruby smiled at Regina. "I knew it. You couldn't stop staring at her the second you walked into Granny's the day she came into town. You're not that subtle in your staring, you know? Maybe that's why Daniel got pissed at lunch."

"What do you mean?"

"For someone who is so smart, you can be stupid. Everyone knows that Daniel is... was... your first boyfriend but not the first person you dated. Don't you remember Mal?"

"No, actually. Since we drifted apart naturally, she kind of disappeared from my mind."

"Well, whether you remember her or not, Daniel didn't forget. He probably got jealous over the way you were staring at her."

"No. Impossible. I do not stare at Emma."

* * *

"Regina, darling! You have to hurry up if you want to eat breakfast and get to school on time!" Regina's mother called down the hall the next morning.

"Coming, mother!" Regina finished getting dressed and walked towards the kitchen, after going down the stairs. She saw her mother standing by the coffee pot pouring a cup. "Mother, is it alright if I skip breakfast here and eat at Granny's?"

After some thought, Cora said, "Sure, but remember to tell Granny to make something healthy. None of that greasy foods."

"Of course, mother," Regina smiled sweetly. "Nothing greasy and everything healthy. I'll see you after school, mother. I'll stop by the office."

"Alright, I will see you then," the mayor said as Regina got to the door.

* * *

Rounding the corner, Granny's Diner came into Regina's view. _'I left earlier than normal, so I can sit down and eat. Sorry, mother, but I asked to come here because I want greasy food every once in a while.' Regina reached out to grab the door's handle. Pulling it open, she stepped into the diner, hearing the little bell ring. 'Every time! I forget how annoying that bell can be.'_

"So, who, exactly, do you like?"

"Regina!"

"Ruby!" Emma yelled, grabbing Regina's attention.

"Hi, Regina. What are you doing here?" Ruby said, causing Emma to look over her shoulder.

"I thought I would get something to eat from here. Something my mother wouldn't approve of."

"I know exactly what you want. To stay or to go?"

"To stay. I have time."

Ruby nodded as she started to get up. "You're always being a waitress, Rubes," Emma said.

"It's second nature. I've been doing this for years, practically. Granny, we need one BLT to stay!"

"Oh! Is Regina here?" Regina heard from the kitchen. She tried to stifle her laughter as she saw Emma smile at her.

 _'Damn it, Ruby! Now, all I can think about is if and how I'm staring at Emma. This isn't cool!'_

"Wait. You don't have to tell me anymore, Em. I think I figured it out." Regina looked over at the sheriff sitting next to Emma. As she sat on the other side of Emma at the counter, Regina kept wondering when he appeared.

"No, you didn't, David," Emma said, adamantly shaking her head.

"Yeah, he did. If I did, he definitely did."

"Neither of you know! That's not fair. Stop figuring things out before I actually have a chance to tell you."

 _'What are they talking about?'_ Thinking back to the small snippet of the conversation she heard when she walked in, she realized. _'Oh! Emma like someone. Good for her. Wait! Who does she like? Ruby knows who she likes. And Ruby knows that I like Emma! I don't think I could handle Emma liking someone. Could she like me? No! That's impossible. She still thinks I'm dating Daniel. I'm technically unavailable in her mind.'_

Ruby pulled Regina out of her thoughts by placing the sandwich on the table.

"Thank you, Ruby."

"Of course. Eat up. Today's gonna be a long day," Ruby said with a knowing smirk.

 _'What is that supposed to mean?'_


	11. Left Alone

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.  
I'm taking a few summer classes, so I might not be able to write as often as I'd want to. I will write and post when I can.**

"Bye, guys." Emma started to head towards the door of the diner, but Zelena's voice caused her to turn back around.

"Bye, Emma. Wait, do you know where Regina lives?"

 _'If I look at Regina, I won't be able to lie. I don't want to seem like a stalker if I knew where she lives without her telling me. Don't look at her, Emma.'_

"No," she shook her head while avoiding Regina's gaze.

 _'Good job, me. I was able to not look at Regina and lie to my new friends... Great! I'm a liar now. They'll always see me as a liar. Wait, what is Zelena saying?'_

"... biggest one. 108 Mifflin Street."

"Why do I need to know?"

"Just in case you want to stop by after your chat with the sheriff," Zelena answered.

"Oh. Yeah. Sounds perfect."

As Emma turned back to the door, she thought, _'I am definitely a liar. I don't even have to talk to David. I don't even think David is coming to the diner today.'_

"If I don't stop by, I'll see you tomorrow," she said looking over her shoulder to the group.

 _'Don't look at her. She'll see right through your lies. You'll give yourself away. I can't help it.' Emma looked over at Regina and smiled. 'You're so weak, Emma.'_

Emma walked through the door and cursed inwardly at the little bell that rang above her head. She quickly glanced around the diner and saw an empty booth close to the door. She sat down and placed her backpack next to her.

A waitress with a smile on her face walked up to Emma's booth. "Hi, my name is Ashley. What can I get for you?"

"Um. Can I get a glass of water and a hot chocolate with cinnamon? I don't know what I want to eat yet."

"Sure. Take your time." Ashley left Emma at the table but quickly returned with a glass of water. "I'll bring the hot chocolate as soon as it's ready." She left once again.

 _'I'm bored. What should I do? Well, I did get a bunch of homework that I have to catch up on if I actually want to finish a year. I'll do some homework. I'll start with my hardest subject, math.'_

* * *

Around 3:15, Emma got through her math homework. _'I can't believe it took me fifteen minutes to do my math work. It wasn't that hard, actually. I should've been done in at least thirty minutes, from what I knew from my previous schools. I guess I'm not an idiot, as some teachers have called me.'_

Ashley walked back up to the table, startling Emma. "Do you want another hot chocolate?"

"Yes, please," Emma smiled gratefully at the waitress. "And could I get some fries?"

"Couldn't figure out what to eat?"

"No. It's so weird. I'm hungry, but not at the same time. I'm always hungry, usually."

"Just to keep in mind, I stick with the hamburger. It's very good."

"Thanks, Ashley. I'm probably gonna be here a while, so I'll think about it. But for now, fries."

"You got it. It'll be out soon," Ashley said walking away.

Emma put her math books back into her backpack. Looking through her bag, she decided to work on her English homework.

 _'This shouldn't be too bad. I was always good at writing.'_

* * *

 _'Oh boy. English is harder than I expected. This should've been done in less time than math.'_ Emma looked up when she heard the little bell ring above the door. _'Stupid bell. Oh, great. Daniel is here. With... Killian? I thought Belle said they weren't friends. And what time is it? Is it so late that everyone decided to do their own thing?'_ Emma looked at the clock above the counter. _'No, it's barely 4:30.'_

"Hey, Emma!" Killian yelled, which caused Daniel to laugh. Killian stumbled over dragging an equally stumbling Daniel behind him. "Daniel, stop pushing into me, buddy."

"Sorry, dude. Might've had a little too much juice, if you know what I mean," he said making a drinking motion with his hand.

 _'Are they drunk? What the hell is going on with them?'_

"Hey, Emma. You know that fight at lunch? Don't worry about it anymore. It was all a joke, ok? It was kinda like hazing you into the group, you know? Killian and me thought it up. Smart, right?" Daniel slurred and smiled lazily at her.

"No. I didn't know it was a joke. And I'm not going to not worry about it. Did you know I hit my head pretty hard? And I'm sporting this black eye that I can't see out of."

"Hey, chick. Just calm yourself. I'm sorry 'kay?" Daniel laughed.

"Yeah, ok. Whatever," Emma said flippantly. "Can you leave? I'm trying to do homework."

"WOW!" Killian whistled. "No wonder Regina has taken a liking to you. This bum probably doesn't even know how to write his own name. No wonder Regina dumped your lowly ass," Killian laughed. Daniel nodded and laughed along.

 _'Regina broke up with Daniel? And why is he laughing about it?'_

"She was so angry at you, buddy. Why were you fighting against the break-up, though? You wanted to dump her ever since the little joyride we had in her mom's car."

"Yeah, but... I couldn't seem too eager, could I, dude? Then, she... she'd suspect something. She'd think that we were still friends. And if she found that out, then she would know that I was the one driving. And... and if she knew that... if she knew that, she'd know... would definitely know that I hit her dad."

"Would that really be such a bad thing, buddy? She'd still break up with you. God, she is such a bitch."

"I know, dude, I know. I dated her." Daniel looked over at Emma. "Oh. Hey, Emma. When did you get here?"

 _'I shouldn't know what they just talked about. Regina would've told me if she wanted me to know. I'm gonna have to play this off.'_

"I just sat down, Daniel." She just hoped she was convincing.

"Ah. Ok. Oh, I see you brought your books. You doing homework?"

"Yeah. I was just about to start. You think you could change tables or leave entirely?"

"Sure thing, chick," Daniel smirked at her. "I'm feeling like I'm starting to sober up. We're gonna stop by a liquor store and get some rum. It's our favorite. You want some?"

"No, I... I'm good. Thanks, though."

"Yeah. Come on, dude. Let's get drunker."

"You got it, buddy. Let's bounce, 'cuz this place is boring me now."

As Killian got to the door, Daniel was starting to stand up from his seat in the booth. He walked over to Emma and leaned down to speak in her ear, "Hey. Did you know Regina broke up with me? I had a feeling she gonna, you know, 'cuz of... of lunch. If you want, you could go after her. I think she really likes you." He stood back up and headed for the door. "Bye, Emma! See you tomorrow at school!"

Emma decided to try to get through some more homework, but she kept getting lost in her thoughts. _'Regina just broke up with him and he's already encouraging me to start dating her? He really didn't want her? What the hell is wrong with him? Why wouldn't he want her? She practically perfect! I mean, she has flaws. Who doesn't? I don't know them yet, but I'm pretty sure they make her who she is. And Regina being herself is perfection, itself.'_ Emma looked back up at the clock. _'Damn, it's 5:45. I should get back to the apartment before it gets too late.'_

Emma packed her bag and head to Ashley at the counter to pay for her food. "Hey, what are you doing?" Ashley asked when Emma got there.

"Paying?"

"No, you don't have to. Mary Margaret and David said to make a tab for you and they'll cover it whenever they come in," Granny said after she walked from the order window to behind the counter taking over for Ashley. "All you gotta do is leave."

"Seriously?"

 _'Nobody has ever trusted me this much so soon. Mary Margaret and David only just met me.'_

"Yes. Now leave... if you wanna go, of course. I would never kick someone out... unless it got too late, or they were too drunk."

"So, you're telling me, I could just leave?"

"Yes. Now get going before they send out a search party."

"Ok. Bye, Granny. Bye, Ashley."

Emma walked out of the diner and turned to the left to start her walk home.

"REALLY? I still can't believe those two drunken idiots stole my car! AGAIN! I can't wait for the day they turn 18 and they leave this town for good!"

 _'Is that Regina's mom?'_ Emma turned her head to see the mayor storming down the block. _'Why is she walking? Doesn't she have a car? I saw her drive off yesterday. Wait, drunken idiots? Did Killian and Daniel steal her car?'_

"Madam Mayor?" Emma yelled getting her attention.

Emma jogged up to Mayor Mills. "Ah. Miss Swan, correct?" At Emma's nod, she continued, "What are you doing here, dear?"

"I was doing homework, here at Granny's Diner. It got late, so I was going to walk home. I was wondering, and I'm sorry if this is rude, but don't you have a car?"

"I do, but," she chuckled dryly, " a few of my daughter's 'friends' seem to have stolen my car... again."

"Would you like some company?"

 _'Where is this coming from? Maybe because I like Regina and Regina's mother has to like me if I want to be with Regina. Stop jumping to daydreams, Swan!'_

"If it's not a problem, dear. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"It's no trouble, ma'am. I'd be happy to do it."

"Ok, well thank you, Miss Swan. My house is just at the end of this block. Number 108."

Emma had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "This is the second time I've been told where this house is. Makes sense, though. They assume I'm not a stalker.'

"Lead the way."

* * *

At 6:10, Emma opened the door to the apartment and walked in.

Mary Margaret was the first one to see her. "Oh. Emma! How are you feeling?"

"I feel fine. My eye is the only thing that's bothering me. Other than that I'm good, thanks." Emma started to head to the stairs but turned around quickly. "Oh, David? I don't think I'm gonna go running tomorrow. The eye isn't really helping with my sight."

"That's no problem. I should've told you this earlier, but I usually run every other day, anyway."

"Oh. Sweet. Well, I'm gonna head to bed. It was kind of a long day."

"No problem, sweetie." As Emma got to the top of the stairs, she heard Mary Margaret continue, "Should we tell her? I don't want to overwhelm her too much."

She stayed by the stairs to hear David's response. "No, not yet. But I think, whenever we tell her, she's gonna be overwhelmed. It's not every day you're told you want to be adopted."

 _'They want to adopt me? Even all the trouble I've caused them on my first day?'_ Emma remembered Mary Margaret's words from the nurse's office. _'Right, I'm not leaving until I want to. And I really don't want to.'_

* * *

Sitting at the counter with David on her right, Emma ate her breakfast in Granny's. Ruby rounded the counter and sat on Emma's left.

"You look like you have a huge secret to spill, Emma. So, spill."

"And how could you possibly know that, Ruby?"

"She's a waitress. She knows things. She also gives great advice. For a child," David answered with a smile.

"Hey! I told you to propose. Aren't you happy you listened to me?" David nodded. "Exactly, but we're focusing on Emma. What's the secret?"

 _'Which do I tell? The one about Daniel and Killian hitting Regina's dad or the one about my crush on Regina? Which Regina secret do I choose to admit?'_

Deciding that Regina's familial life is harder to discuss, Emma said, "I like someone."

Ruby squealed. "I knew it! I think I know who!"

"Well, I don't!" The diner's bell rang. "So, who exactly do you like?"

Looking down at her food, Emma opened to mouth to answer, but Ruby's voice came out instead, "Regina!"

"Ruby!" Emma looked up to see Ruby with her eyes wide in shock.

"Regina, hi." Ruby glared at Emma to get her to turn around. "What are you doing here?"

Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she looked over her shoulder at her crush as she started to speak, "I thought I would get something to eat from here. Something my mother wouldn't approve of."

"I know exactly what you want. To stay or to go?"

"To stay. I have time."

 _'Oh, God. I don't think I'll be able to survive the rest of this day. I don't even know if Ruby actually knows or not. Did she just say that to mess with my head?'_ Regina pulled Emma out of her thoughts by taking Ruby's spot at the counter. She couldn't help but smile at Regina. _'Why does she have to be so pretty? I don't even think she puts on make-up. And if she does, it's not that much. And her brown hair is always styled perfectly. Damn. She's so beautiful.'_

"Wait. You don't have to tell me anymore, Em. I think I figured it out."

"No, you didn't, David," Emma shook her head, looking over at him.

"Yeah, he did." Emma looked over at Ruby to see her leaning on the counter. "If I did, he did."

"Neither of you know!" Ruby smiled sadly and nodded towards Regina slightly. "That's not fair!" Emma exasperatedly sighed. "Stop figuring things out before I tell you."

 _'Why did Regina come in? Not that I don't want to see her. I definitely want to see her. But this was my first interaction with her in front of David, and he figured it out! Am I really that obvious?'_

Emma snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Ruby who had a small smirk on her face. "Eat up. Today's gonna be a long day."

 _'What is that supposed to mean?'_


	12. Author's Note

I'm so sorry for the lateness of these new chapters. As I said before, I took two summer classes, and those took up a lot of my time. I didn't have time to write or post, which I'm kind of upset with myself for. I will be posting two chapters tomorrow because of the long wait. The classes finished a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to get back into the groove of things. It didn't really work until I sat myself down at my computer and focused for a few hours. Hopefully, I don't have anymore writer's block and I can write a few more chapters before I post again soon. I'll try to get back to my regular posting schedule, but I can't make any promises. I'm also going to edit a few of the earlier chapters because what I had previously written now doesn't work with what I have written for the newest chapters. Thank you all for sticking with this story and me during this hiatus.


	13. The Start

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
** **All mistakes are mine.  
I've updated all of the previous chapters because I forgot which ones I actually changed a little. Sorry for the spam emails.  
This is the first of two chapters for an update because of the long wait.**

"Ruby, I need to talk to you," Regina whispered.

"Ok, so talk," Ruby said just as quietly.

"Privately."

"We can't get any more private than the only two people in the library. So, like I said before, talk."

Regina hesitated, but finally gave in, "Fine. I want to talk to you about that thing you found out a few weeks ago."

"What thing? I find out a lot of things. For example, I found out that Leroy has a crush on a nun. Sister Astrid," Ruby nonchalantly said. "Oh, crap. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. Oh, well. You're not much of a gossiper, right?" Ruby continued saying to a confused Regina.

"I meant the thing that you found out about me."

"Oh, you mean that you like Emma," Ruby smirked.

"Not so loud," Regina chastised.

"Regina, we're the only two in here." Just as Ruby finished talking, Belle entered the library with Zelena. "Well, four, now."

"See, I told you I'd find your girlfriend, Belle. For some reason, my best friend chats with Ruby more than me, recently."

"You know that's not-"

"It's totally true," Ruby said cutting Regina off. "Ever since, I figured out that you like Emma, even though everyone can tell, you've been hanging out with me more. You've actually been avoiding Emma a little."

"Wait. If everyone can tell that I like Emma, does that also mean Emma?"

"No," Ruby assured.

Zelena something along the lines of clueless that caused Belle to laugh. Regina decided to ignore her best friend.

 _'Ignoring her makes her mad, and then, she doesn't talk to me for a while. That's what she gets for calling me clueless. At least, I think she called me clueless. Well, who else would she call that?'_

"Ok. Good. Do you know who Emma likes?" Regina tested, already knowing part of the answer.

"Emma likes someone? That's news to me." Zelena and Belle nodded after Ruby's words.

 _'That sounded convincing. I almost believed her. But I know she knows. I was there when David figured it out. Ruby confirmed it.'_

"Why does it feel like you're lying?"

"Because I could be. Also, it could be because you want to believe that if Emma likes someone, that someone could be you. Your thought process isn't that hard to follow. There's only one thing I can't figure out, though."

"And what's that, Ruby?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know! Can I say it, babe?"

"Sure, Belle," Ruby nodded with a little smirk.

"Ok. Why haven't you asked her out yet?" Belle questioned lightly, knowing Regina's temper.

"Why?" The three girls nodded in response. "Because I don't know if she likes me." Zelena opened her mouth to say something that Regina could guess. Before a sound left her mouth, though, Regina said, "I meant likes me as more than just a friend. I don't know how I'd feel if she rejects me. She's only been here a few months. The school year is almost over. I don't want to lose her if she doesn't like me back," she ended sadly.

"Then there's only one thing to do. You make her like you in the way you like her. You have to sweep her off her feet. You make her feel as special as you see her as. You have to woo her."

 _'Wow. I didn't think about that. I have to show her that I like her. Zelena is right. I have to woo her. I have to do everything that Daniel do for me.'_

* * *

 _'Why am I nervous? It's only Emma, the girl I have a massive crush on. Oh, God. She makes me so nervous. I am Cora Mills' daughter. She doesn't do nervous. I can't do it either if I'm going to follow her into office.'_

"Hey, Emma." Regina stood next to the lunch table.

"Oh, you're talking to me again?" Emma teased with a growing smile.

 _'Why is she so adorable? God, I never felt this way around Daniel. She's going to overload me with cuteness.'_

"No, I just thought I'd be polite before I continued to ignore you," Regina teased back.

"Oh. How nice of you. You must be the mayor's daughter."

Regina couldn't hold back her laughter at Emma's words. _'Why are our friends staring at us as if we're crazy. We usually do something like this.'_

"Regina, sit. Eat. Stop staring," Zelena smirked, which caused Emma to look up at Regina and smile as she patted the spot next to her.

"Zelena, shut up. Your advice sucks," Regina snapped.

Confused, Emma asked, "What advice? What did you advise her on?"

Before Regina could open her mouth, Zelena responded. "Our darling Regina here has a crush."

"On who?"

"It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that Zelena's advice failed me at the moment."

"It's barely been a day."

"Doesn't matter."

"Well, that sucks." Emma paused for a few seconds. "Maybe my advice could be better? If I knew who it was I could help?"

 _'Oh. My. God. This girl is super thoughtful. But I can't tell her that I like her. It was too difficult to admit it Ruby a few weeks ago, and it didn't get much easier to admit it to Zelena and Belle earlier today. I can't tell her.'_

Due to Regina's inner monologue, Emma suggested, "Maybe you could just describe him. You know, if you don't feel comfortable admitting to me who it is."

 _'Why is she so sweet. God, she's too good for me.'_

"Um..."

"Actually, the person Regina has a massive crush on is a girl," Zelena said.

 _'Oh. I didn't even realize that she made that mistake.'_

"Oh," Emma said shocked.

 _'God, she's disgusted. Damn it. I'm going to lose a really close friend. Crap.'_

"Ok. What does she like?"

 _'Wait. Is she not repulsed? Is she really fine with it? With me?'_

"Um..."

"Has my concern for your love life reduced you to 'um's', Regina?" Emma teased.

"No! I just have to think of the answer, obviously," Regina tried to play off.

"Right... but just so you know, 'um's' aren't very mayoral."

"Well, I'm not the mayor. My mother is. I'm just a class president."

"Just tell me about the girl, Gina," Emma said with a small smile.

 _'Gina? Nobody has ever called me that before. It sounds good coming from her. I could get used to that.'_

"Ok. Well, the girl... she's a year older than me. Uh, she... she's not very out there, I guess. She mainly likes to keep to herself. She's very possessive of the things she likes. She-"

"You mean, she doesn't like to share?" Emma said cutting off Regina.

"No. She doesn't not like to share. She just prefers to keep things close to her. She doesn't like to lose those things she likes."

 _'I hope she kind of figures it out. I hope she pieces it all together and gets the right person. Her: Em-ma.'_

"Ok. I think I got it. But, just one more question. Do you know if she likes you back?"

"I can only be certain that she likes me enough to be my friend."

"Oh! So you want to woo her? Kinda old fashioned-like, huh?"

"Yes. That was Zelena's advice," Regina said defeatedly.

"Well, she was on the right track. Did she suggest what you should do?"

"No. Just sweep her off her feet."

"Ingenious plan," Emma replied dryly. "But how exactly were you gonna do that?"

"I don't know. Any tips?"

"Yes, actually. You're gonna find something that has importance to you, give it to her, and say you want it back, in the same condition, after a certain amount of time."

"How is this me wooing her?"

"It's not," Emma smiled. "This is to see if she likes you the same way you like her." Noting Regina's confused look, she continued, "If she likes you the same way, she'll never let whatever you give her out of her sight. If she's as possessive as you say, anything that has meaning to you will have meaning to her now. It's a part of you. And if she truly likes you, she won't want to lose you. Or hurt you in any way. Got it?"

"Yeah. I do." After a brief pause, Regina added, "Woo many girls from your different homes?"

With a small smile growing on her face from Regina's teasing, Emma said, "Not really. This is the first place that a girl has piqued my interest."

 _'Emma does like someone! But who could it be? It would suck if it's not me.'_

* * *

Regina was pacing her room, talking out loud to herself. "What do I give her? Mother doesn't give me much that I hold dear to me. But... dad did give me my apple tree. I can't entirely give that to Emma... but I can ask her to take care of it for a bit. I usually do it myself, so I would need an excuse for being busy. What can I make myself busy with?"

Regina heard the front door open. "Regina! It's 5:20! I was able to leave earlier than normal today! Do you have any preference for dinner tonight?"

Regina came out of her room and walked down the stairs before answering her mother. "Mother, I was wondering if I could make dinner tonight?"

"Someone must be in a good mood, hmm? Sure, dear. I'll be in the study, then, if you need me." As an afterthought, Cora added, "I doubt you'll need my help, though. You're perfectly capable."

"Thank you, mother," Regina quietly said after she heard the door to the study close. She turned on her heel and headed to the kitchen. "I'll make the thing I make best. Lasagna. Maybe I'll make extra for lunch."

* * *

Cora came into the dining room to see Regina with books and the timer on the table. "Are you doing homework while waiting for dinner to be finished?" she asked causing her daughter to jump slightly.

"No. I finished my homework a while ago. I was thinking about campaign slogans for junior class president."

"Don't you have all summer to think of those?"

 _'I do. They don't even allow us to promote ourselves until October. But Emma doesn't know that.'_

"Yes, mother, but anyone else that is planning to run will be thinking about it soon. I should get a head start on it. They would probably want to beat me."

"But they wouldn't, of course. You're obviously a shoe-in," Cora smiled sweetly. "I'm glad you have taken a liking to run for office. I know how distasteful it was for you before. You're clearly a natural."

The timer went off signaling the pair that the food was finished. "Mother, will you set the table while I check on the lasagna?"

"Surely. Do you want me to clear your books as well?"

"Yes, please," she said as she brought the timer to the kitchen. After checking the food in the oven, Regina set the timer once again. "It'll be ready in another five minutes."

 _'Now, how do I get Emma to water my apple tree without it being obvious that she's the one that I like? Ruby lives closer, so she should be the obvious one I ask. Zelena is my best friend, so I could always depend on her to help me. Jefferson lives too far, so he can't. Belle doesn't like to get her hands dirty unless she's dusting off books in the library. So, Emma's excuses for not doing it are Zelena and Ruby. What could I have as my reasons for not asking them? A-ha! They're late for everything!'_ The timer went off pulling Regina from her thoughts.

"Mother! The lasagna is done! You could come in and take some!"

"Thank you, dear. I happened to glance at your campaign proposals. They're not as amazing as this lasagna will be, but I could help you work on them."

"Thank you, mother. I will work on them some more after dinner. I'll ask for your opinions over the summer when we're both not as busy."

 _'That's probably the nicest thing she's ever said about my campaign proposals. Also, she complimented me on my food. That's actually another first.'_

Regina and her mother ate dinner in silence, though Regina couldn't help but notice the looks of confusion her mother was sending her way. _'If she wants to talk to me about something, she'll mention it. She's not a shy woman.'_ Just as they finished their dinner, Cora stood up and grabbed the plates. Right before Regina disappeared up the stairs with her books, Cora announced, "I invited the Nolans and Miss Swan to dinner tomorrow. Make sure you're on your best behavior."

* * *

The next morning, Regina woke up with her alarm. _'Wow, I know I spent last night worrying, but I didn't realize how tired I was. I kind of have to rush through my routine now.'_

* * *

"Bye, mother!" Regina yelled running out the door and headed towards Granny's five minutes later than usual.

 _'So many things made me late. First, my shower took too long. Second, mother took way too much time making the simplest breakfast, oatmeal. Now, I'm late and I'm not used to being late. I feel like Zelena and Ruby.'_

Regina didn't realize she was stuck in her thoughts until someone stopped her from walking by grabbing her shoulders. "Gina? Are you ok?"

"What?" Regina shook her head and focused on the person standing in front of her. "Oh. Hello, Em-ma," she continued, still distracted.

"Are you ok? You seem a little out of it."

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine. I'm just running a little late."

"I can see that. But if you're not planning on skipping school, you should turn around."

"Why?" Regina asked confused but still turned around.

"You missed the turn for the block that the school is on. You're lucky I leave at this time. I have no idea where you would have ended up, Gina," Emma ended with a little laugh.

"Wow. Where was I?"

"In front of my apartment. Come on. We have to get going if you don't want to be even later."

The pair walked the next block and a half in silence until Emma spoke, "Why were you running late? Aren't you like... an hour early anywhere?"

Laughing, Regina responded, "No, it's closer to twenty minutes. But to answer your first question, my shower took longer than I thought it did and mother took forever to make breakfast."

"Ah. Ok. Did you figure out what you're going to give you crush yet?"

Lying, the brunette said, "No. I was going to use the weekend to think of something."

"Got it. You have to weigh the meaning of everything, right." Regina nodded as they walked up the school steps. Stopping in front of the school doors, Emma turned to Regina. "Well, I'll see you in class, Regina. I have to get to my locker."

As she turned to leave, Regina lightly grabbed Emma's wrist. "Before you leave, I have to ask you something."

 _'Before, I lose my nerve.'_

"Sure. Anything."

"I'm going to have to work on my campaign for junior class president soon. I was wondering if you could help me take care of my apple tree."

"You have an apple tree!? I love apples. What type of apples are they?"

 _'And I thought I was going to have a problem with this. She didn't even ask if someone else could do it.'_

"They're Red Delicious apples. Can you help me or not?"

"Obviously. Apples are the third best thing to eat." After a brief pause, Emma asked, "I could pick some, right?"

"Yes, as long as they're ready."

"Sweet. When should I report to duty?" Emma asked, biting her lip to keep her smile from showing.

 _'She is so darn cute. I'll explain everything after dinner tonight if she really is coming.'_

"Did Mr. and Mrs. Nolan tell you about dinner tonight?" Emma nodded. "Great. I'll explain everything after we eat."

"Cool. Uh, just one question. What time should we be there? David didn't say anything."

"Mother usually gets home around 5:30, so dinner will be done around 6. I guess anytime between then would be fine."

Emma nodded once again. "Got it. See you in class."

"See you soon."

"You really like her, huh?"

Regina jumped and turned to see Daniel behind her. "What are you doing here?" she asked angrily.

"I was walking into school and couldn't help but overhear. Your mom likes her better than she liked me. I can't say that's hard to do. She is a very likable person. Have you asked her out yet?"

"No, and I'm not discussing this with you, Daniel. Please, leave me alone." Regina ended the conversation by walking away.

 _'I can't believe his nerve! But this is the first time that he actually seemed sincere. Does he want me to be with Emma? The first class is going to start soon. I have to hurry up if I want to make it on time.'_


	14. She Heard Ruby

**AN: I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
** **All mistakes are mine.  
This is the second of two chapters for an update because of the long wait. Sorry for the spam again.**

Emma was the first to see Regina get closer to the table. 'God, it's been weeks since I have first seen her. It feels like she gets prettier every time she breathes. I can't believe I'm so smitten with the mayor's daughter.

"Hey, Emma."

"Oh, you're talking to me again?" she teasingly asked with a smile that's never-ending as long as Regina is close.

 _'I'm never gonna feel my cheeks again. But it's all good if she is the cause behind it.'_

"No, I just thought I'd be polite before I continue to ignore you."

 _'Oh. That's a good one. But it feels like I'm the one that was ignoring you. I have been trying to distance myself while I tried to figure out my feelings for you.'_

"Oh. How nice of you. You must be the mayor's daughter," Emma said which caused Regina to let out a throaty laugh.

 _'God, I love that sound. That laugh is perfect,'_ Emma thought, looking down at her lunch.

"Regina, sit. Eat. Stop staring."

 _'Who is she staring at?"_ Emma looked up to meet Regina's gaze. _'Oh. She's staring at me. Why me?'_

"Zelena, shut up. Your advice sucks," Regina snapped without breaking the eye contact she held with Emma.

 _'I could get lost in those chocolate eyes. Wait. Did she say advice?'_

"What advice?" Looking towards Zelena, the blonde asked, "What did you advise her on?"

Regina made a strangled noise right before Zelena answered for her. "Our darling Regina here has a crush."

 _'What? No! I will never be able to tell her I like her now.'_

Emma could tell her voice cracked slightly when she asked, "On who?"

"It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is that Zelena's advice failed me at the moment."

Emma tuned out the best friends' bickering to think to herself. _'Maybe I could get Regina to tell me who it is if I offer to give her some advice. Would she fall for that? No, she's too smart to fall for my dumb ideas. It couldn't hurt to try, though.'_

"Well, that sucks. Maybe my advice could be better? If I knew who it was, I could help?" Emma saw Regina think about her suggestion but ultimately saw the refusal in her facial expression. "Maybe you could just describe him. You know, if you don't feel comfortable admitting to me who it is."

"Um..."

"Actually, the person Regina has a massive crush on is a girl."

 _'A girl? Regina likes a girl? So, I can still be in the running! Yes! Maybe Daniel was right a few weeks ago...'_

"Oh. Ok. What does she like?"

"Um..."

"Has my concern for your love life reduced you to 'um's', Regina?" Emma joked.

"No! I just have to think about the answer, obviously."

 _'She said that way too suddenly and forcefully. Is she nervous about something?'_

"Right... but just so you know, 'um's' aren't very mayoral."

"Well, I'm not the mayor. My mother is. I'm just a class president."

 _'Really, Regina? You're not_ just _anything.'_

"Just tell me about the girl, Gina."

 _'Gina? Where did that come from? It felt good, though.'_

"Ok. Well, the girl..." the brunette paused, thinking of how to explain what her crush was like. "She's a year older than me. Uh, she... she's not very out there, I guess. She mainly likes to keep to herself. She's very possessive of the things she likes. She-"

"You mean, she doesn't like to share?"

"No. She doesn't not like to share. She just prefers to keep things close to her. She doesn't like to lose those things she likes."

 _'I know I've been wanting her to have a crush on me, but that was mostly wishful thinking. I didn't actually expect her to describe me. The only thing left is to find out if she knows I like her.'_

"Ok. I think I got it. But just one more question." At Regina's nod, Emma asked, "Do you know if she likes you back?"

Regina shook her head. "I can only be certain that she likes me enough to be my friend."

 _'So, she doesn't know. If she truly has a crush on me, maybe I can see how she tries to woo someone._ _Wait, woo? That's so old-fashioned. Maybe that's what she wants to do. I can't think anymore. This is hurting my head.'_

"Oh! So, you want to woo her? Kinda old fashioned-like, huh?"

 _'Now, this is just more wishful thinking. It's not gonna get me anywhere.'_

"Yes. That was Zelena's advice," Regina said, sounding defeated.

"Well, she was on the right track. Did she suggest what you should do?"

"No. Just sweep her off her feet."

 _'Really, Zelena? That's all you said to her?'_

"Ingenious plan," Emma remarked sarcastically. "But how exactly were you gonna do that?"

"I don't know." Regina covered her face with her hands for a second, then looked back at Emma. "Any tips?"

 _'Wow, she really likes this girl. I'm kinda jealous of nothing I should be jealous of. Regina is not mine. I shouldn't be jealous of anything.'_

"Yes, actually. You're gonna find something that has importance to you, give it to her, and say you want it back, in the same condition, after a certain amount of time."

"How is this me wooing her?"

Shaking her head, Emma replied, "It's not. This is to see if she likes you the same way you like her." When she saw that Regina didn't understand, she took a breath and continued, "If she likes you the same way, she'll never let whatever you give her out of her sight. If she's as possessive as you say, anything that has meaning to you will have meaning to her now. It's a part of you. And if she truly likes you, she won't want to lose you. Or hurt you in any way. Got it?"

"Yeah. I do." Finally meeting Emma's eyes, Regina teasingly asked, "Woo many girls from your different homes?"

"Not really. This is the first place that a girl has piqued my interest," Emma said gazing deeply into Regina's eyes.

 _'Wow, Emma. Can you make it any more obvious?'_

* * *

"Emma." She looked up to see Ruby towering over her. "Why are you here?"

"I'm always at Granny's after school. Why are you here?"

"I work here. It's my job to be here. Also, you didn't give a real answer."

"After school, it usually quiets down quickly, so I do my homework. Also, Mary Margaret told me that she and David wanted to talk to me during his break. Now, where's my food?"

"Here's your damn grilled cheese and hot chocolate." Ruby placed the items on the table and turned to walk away, but not before Emma could see the smile that started to grow on the waitress's face.

Emma took her time eating her sandwich while she did her math homework. As she stuffed the last morsel into her mouth, she closed her eyes in annoyance. _'That little bell is going to be the death of me, I swear!'_

"Good afternoon, Miss Swan."

Opening her eyes and swallowing the barely chewed food, Emma looked at the mayor. "Good afternoon, Madam Mayor. You could call me Emma if you'd like to."

"I could, but I'm not going to. At least not yet. I believe the Nolans are supposed to show up, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am, they are. They said they wanted to talk to me about something."

 _'Probably the adoption I overheard a few weeks ago.'_

"Oh. That's right. Well, I need to talk to them about something, as well. When they get here, could you excuse us for a moment?" Nervous about possibly saying the wrong answer, Emma nodded. "Excellent." The bell rang for the second time in five minutes. "Here they are now. Excuse us, Miss Swan."

"Of course. I'll be... um... I'll be at the counter... talking... to Ruby."

 _'Come on, Swan,'_ she thought as she stood up and walked over to Ruby. _'Control your nerves around that woman. She's the mayor, and she's also Regina's mother. If Regina actually likes you, Cora Mills also_ _has to like you.'_

"Dude," Ruby drawled. "She's not gonna like you if you stutter."

"You think I don't know that, Rubes? I'm trying, but I become a nervous wreck every time I see her."

"Do you think it's because of you liking Regina?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby! Shut up!" Out of the corner of her eye, the blonde saw the mayor glance in the two young girls direction.

 _'Oh, God. She heard Ruby. Why can't Ruby keep her damn mouth shut?'_

"I'm glad we had this chat, Mary Margaret, and David. We'll be delighted to see you three tomorrow." Cora stood up and walked towards the door. Without turning around, she said, "Have a good rest of your day, Miss Swan. I will see you soon." She was out the door less than a second later.

"Do you think she heard me?"

"If we did, she definitely did," Mary Margaret said confirming Emma's worst suspicions.

 _'Oh, God. She heard Ruby,'_ Emma continuously thought.

Emma was still sitting at the counter with wide eyes and a slack jaw when David dropped a stack of papers in front of her. "Em, do you remember that we wanted to talk to you about something?"

"Yeah. Adoption, right?" she asked, still stunned that the mayor now knew.

"Yeah. How... how did you know?"

"I overheard you guys talking about it once. But it's not as overwhelming as you thought it would be. Having the mayor of Storybrooke know that I like her daughter is twice as overwhelming."

"Yeah. I'm sorry about that."

"It's ok, Ruby. I'm just gonna will the ground to open up and swallow me."

"Um... you're gonna have to wait until after dinner tomorrow," David said.

"Why?"

"Mayor Mills invited us to dinner tomorrow night." After a brief pause, David continued, "Don't worry, it was before Ruby said anything."

"Don't worry? The mother of the girl I have a crush on knows I have a crush on her daughter! How do I do anything but worry?"

 _'Oh, God. She heard Ruby.'_

* * *

"Gina? Are you ok?" Emma asked as she grabbed Regina's shoulders, stopping her from walking past the apartment.

"What? Oh. Hello, Em-ma."

 _'What has her so distracted? She missed the turn for school. Also, I never see her walking to school this late.'_

"Are you ok? You seem a little out of it."

 _'Did her mom tell her that I like her? Oh, no. Does she know?'_

"Yes, thank you, I'm fine. I'm just running a little late."

"Right."

 _'Oh, thank God. She doesn't know. Unless she's lying. I doubt it though.'_

"But," Emma continued, "if you're not planning on skipping school, you should turn around."

"Why?" Regina turned but still looked confused.

 _'Oh. She's not used to being confused. That expression is so cute on her. I need to make her confused more often.'_

"You missed the turn for the block that the school is on. You're lucky I leave at this time. I have no idea where you would've ended up, Gina," Emma laughed, trying to ease the tension she felt.

 _'Why am I being so nervous? It's just Gina. The most amazing girl I have ever met.'_

"Wow. Where am I?"

"In front of my apartment. Come on. We have to get going if you don't want to be even later."

Even though the two walked to the school in silence, Emma's thoughts were racing through her head at a mile a minute. _'Why am I in this rush to get to school? When we get there I'll have a five-minute separation from her, then every class I have is with her. Am I able to do this? I don't even know if her mom told her about my crush. She hasn't said anything, but maybe that's because she wants me to tell her. I don't know... Now, my head hurt. Why is everything so confusing? Wait, why was she late?'_

Stopping her thoughts from going any farther, Emma asked, "Why were you running late? Aren't you like... an hour early anywhere?"

Laughing at Emma's teasing, Regina answered, "No, it's closer to 20 minutes. But to answer your first question, my shower took longer than I thought it would and mother took forever to make breakfast."

"Ah. Ok."

 _'I need to change the subject now. I know she takes showers, but now I'm thinking of what she uses in there. She always smells amazing. Like apples. Always apples.'_

"Well," Emma started, getting her mind away from apples, "did you figure out what you're gonna give your crush yet?"

"No. I was going to use the weekend to think of something."

 _'Why does it seem like she's lying? She seems kind of nervous now. She was so confident when she was talking about why she was late. If she doesn't want to tell me, she could just say that. I'd understand. Unless... I am her crush. Then she wouldn't want me to know if she figured it out yet. God, my head is starting to hurt again from all this thinking.'_

"Got it. You have to weigh the meaning of everything, right?"

As Regina nodded, the girls walked up the steps of the school. _'Oh, great. School. Wait, don't we have a math test today? Crap.'_

"Well, I'll see you in class, Regina. I have to get to my locker." Emma turned to walk away.

A hand grabbing her wrist caused her to turn back around. "Before you leave, I have to ask you something."

 _'Don't sound too eager, Emma. Play it cool.'_

"Sure. Anything."

 _'Nice job, Swan. You sounded eager and excited. Way to play it cool,'_ Emma mentally scolded herself.

"I'm going to have to work on my campaign for junior class president soon. I was wondering if you could help me take care of my apple tree."

 _'No wonder she smells like apples all the time. Does she make her own shampoo? Damn it! Stop thinking about the damn shower!'_

"You have an apple tree!? I love apples. What type of apples are they?"

"They're Red Delicious apples. Can you help me or not?"

"Obviously. Apples are the third best thing to eat."

'After pizza and grilled cheese, obviously, because they are 'amazing'!'

"I could pick some, right?"

"Yes, as soon as they're ready."

"Sweet." Emma smiled but quickly bit her lip to hide her excitement. "When should I report for duty?"

 _'Remember, I can't seem too eager.'_

"Did Mr. and Mrs. Nolan tell you about dinner tonight?"

 _'Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. I'm legally a Nolan, now. Mayor Mills was there. Oh, God. She heard Ruby. No! Focus on Regina!'_

At Emma's nod, the brunette continued, "Great. I'll explain everything after we eat."

"Cool." Emma started to walk away, but a thought stopped her this time. "Uh, just one question. What time should we be there? David didn't say anything."

"Mother usually gets home around 5:30, so dinner will be ready around 6. I guess, anytime between then would be fine."

"Got it," Emma nodded. "See you in class."

"See you soon."

Emma walked to her locker as quickly as she could. Thankfully, her first class was a few doors from it. She opened her locker and put whatever books she needed into her bag. Closing it, Emma heard Ruby and Belle. "Hey, guys! I have a quick question!"

 _'Hopefully, they know if we have a math test today.'_

"What's up, Nolan?" Ruby smirked.

"Firstly, shut up, Rubes. Secondly, do we have a math test today?"

"Wait, I thought your last name was Swan?" Belle asked.

"I was legally adopted yesterday, but I'm still keeping my last name. Now, will one of you answer me?"

"Fine! Yes, we have a math test. Does Regina know?"

"No, Ruby. We were gonna tell them tonight during dinner. Although, I think Regina's mom already knows."

 _'Oh, God. She heard Ruby. No! Damn it! Stop thinking, Swan!'_

"Well, the mayor has to sign all adoption papers."

"Oh. Makes sense. I have to get to class. See you at lunch!"

"Bye, Nolan!"

"Shut up, Ruby!"

 _'Emma Nolan. It sounds easy... natural. I guess this really was meant to be.'_


	15. Dinner?

**AN: I'm sorry for the short chapter. I haven't really felt like writing recently, but I tried to push through because I didn't update for a while before. I wrote the next chapter along with this one, which is also kind of short, but that will be posted soon. Hopefully, I get back into the groove of things soon.  
I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

 _'Why did mother have to invite Mr. and Mrs. Nolan along with Emma to dinner? This is so nerve-wracking. I'm going to try to clear my head by working on some campaign proposals. I'll have something to show Emma if she asks.'_ Regina pulled the book she was writing inside the day before out of her bag. Opening the cover to the first page, Regina gasped, _'No! Oh, my God! Zelena! Why would you do this to me? And when? Was this here yesterday?'_

On the first page was a little taunt:

 _'Regina and Emma sitting in a tree,_

 _K-I-S-S-I-N-G_

 _First comes love,_

 _Then comes marriage,_

 _Then comes Regina with a baby carriage!_

 _Love you, "Gina"_

 _-Z'_

 _'I am going to kill her! Did mother see this yesterday? Was that why she was looking at me strangely during dinner? Oh, God. She knows. I haven't even told her, but she knows. I haven't even told her I'm bi, either... oh, God.'_

"Regina! Come down here and greet our guests before dinner is served!"

 _'Crap. Emma's here.'_

"Coming, mother!" Regina was rushing around her room, trying to tidy up the little things that were lying around.

Regina heard a shy, "Knock, knock," by her door. She looked up to see Emma right outside, hesitating about whether to come in or not. "Your mom told me which room you were in. Can I come in?"

"Yes, yes, of course. You don't have to ask."

"Sweet," Emma said walking to Regina's bed and sitting down.

"Of course, make yourself at home," Regina teased with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh... uh. Sorry." Emma stood up, blushed, then averted her gaze, finding the floor very interesting.

 _'Doesn't she know when I'm teasing her? We have been friends for two weeks already, and we tease each other constantly. Maybe something more could... no! Stop getting your hopes up!'_

"Emma, I was kidding."

"Oh... I knew... that," she responded shyly.

 _'Of course, you did.'_

"So, whatcha working on?" Emma, gaining confidence, asked, as she reached for Regina's notebook.

 _'Oh, my God! No! Emma, wait!'_ Regina thought with wide eyes.

Before Emma could open the book though, Mrs. Nolan called, "Emma! Regina! Come down! It's time to eat!"

 _'Oh, thank God. I don't know what I'd do if she saw and found out.'_

"Coming! I guess I have to look at your proposals later... after the tree, right?"

"Yes, I almost forgot about that. Let's go. We don't want to have them waiting for us."

* * *

After dinner, Regina led Emma out into her backyard. As Emma looked around at the spacious yard, she said, "I didn't know that you lived so close to the woods, Regina."

"Sometimes, I forget because I grew up right next to it."

Regina watched Emma walk up to the border of her backyard and the woods. _'She seems so calm; nothing like how she was when she first came over. Maybe... we should... talk about the tree... before she notices that I'm staring at her.'_

"Em-ma. Can you come back here, please?" Emma nodded and jogged back to her. "We have to discuss what's going to happen about the tree."

"Of course. So, what do I have to do?"

 _'She's so excited about this. She's so adorable.'_

"First things first, do you know how to get here by yourself?" At Emma's nod, Regina continued, "Well, to help out, every morning and afternoon, you'll have to come over and water the tree. If-"

"Wait, every morning and afternoon? At what time?"

"Emma, if you'd let me finish, I could explain all of that." Emma looked down at the ground in shame and apologized. "It's ok. Just let me finish. So, every morning and afternoon, you'll come by water the tree. In the morning, you should come by around 6:30. We could walk to school together after. And if you want... you could come by after school and we could... possibly hang out?"

 _'Hang out? Regina Mills! What is wrong with you?'_

Emma stopped Regina from yelling at herself further when she said, "I'd love to hang out with you. Doing homework at Granny's after school every day is getting kinda boring. I also think Ruby is getting tired of seeing me there every day. I should probably find that out..."

"Maybe you should, but not now. We're still discussing things."

"Of course. I will find that out tomorrow because right now, I'm focusing on you."

Regina looked down, trying to hide her blush, and thought to herself, _'Does she like making me blush?' Calming herself, Regina looked back up to see Emma just staring at her. 'Why is she staring at me like that? Is something on my face?'_

"Emma, is something wrong?"

"What?"

"Is something wrong, Miss Swan?"

"Why are you being so formal, Miss Mills?"

"Because you were just staring at me!"

"I was focusing."

"Clearly," Regina sarcastically replied. "But does the plan for the tree work for you?"

"Yes. I'll be here at 6:30, we'll leave together to go to school. After school, we'll walk here and... when do I leave?"

 _'Whenever you want.'_

"Whatever time Mr. and Mrs. Nolan want you back at their apartment."

"So, whenever I want to leave?"

"You don't have a curfew?"

"If I do, I didn't know it. And I doubt they'll add one if they know I'm with you."

 _'What does she mean by that? Wait, is she doing ok?'_

With each word, Regina's voice got louder, "Emma? Emma. Emma!"

"What?"

"Are you ok? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. I just remembered something I need to tell you."

"What is it? Is it bad?"

"No, no, no. No, it's good. Very good. I, uh... IgotadoptedbyMaryMargaretandDavidyesterday..."

 _'What is she mumbling about? It is awfully adorable, but I can't understand her.'_

"What?"

She saw Emma take a deep breath and as she let it out slowly, she said, "I got adopted by Mary Margaret and David yesterday..."

"Really?" Emma nodded. Regina moved closer to Emma and hugged her tight. "Congratulations!"

 _'I didn't realize how close to Emma I was. I could've just hugged her from where I was standing.'_ Regina felt more than heard Emma take another deep breath and sigh. _'Was she nervous about telling me?'_

The hug lasted longer than any hug should have, but Regina didn't care.


	16. Picking Apples

**AN: Sorry for the short chapter. My mind hasn't been completely focused. I might not update as much, but I will try to write and post an update as soon as possible for me. For now, there's this.  
I don't own the characters or OUAT.  
All mistakes are mine.**

"Mother, I'm going to take Emma outside and show her the tree." Regina led Emma into her backyard. The first thing she saw was the massive apple tree. 'That thing is huge. What have I gotten myself into?' The second thing she noticed was the fence separating the backyard from the woods.

"I didn't know that you lived so close to the woods, Regina."

"Sometimes, I forget because I grew up right next to it."

Emma walked up to the fence and touched it. 'This is old wood. I wonder how long it has been here. This should be replaced soon, anyway.'

Jarring Emma from her thoughts, Regina asked, "Em-ma, can you come back here, please?" Emma nodded and jogged back to her. "We have to discuss what's going to happen about the tree."

"Of course. So, what do I have to do?"

'Remember, Swan! Not too excited! Oh, what the hell. I can't stop myself from being excited near Regina.'

"First things first, do you know how to get here by yourself?" Emma thought about it and nodded, at which Regina continued, "Well, to help out, every morning and afternoon, you'll have to come over and water the tree. If-"

"Wait, every morning and afternoon? At what time?" Emma asked with wide eyes.

'Would I be able to do my run with David? Would I have to run without David? Does he have to start running alone again? How tired am I gonna be?'

Stopping her thoughts from going any farther, Regina said, "Emma, if you'd let me finish, I could explain all of that."

Emma looked down at the ground and muttered a small, "Sorry."

"It's ok. Just let me finish. So, every morning and afternoon, you'll come by water the tree. In the morning, you should come by around 6:30. We could walk to school together after. And if you want... you could come by after school and we could... possibly hang out?"

'Good, I can still go running.'

Emma looked up and smiled as she said, "I'd love to hang out with you. Doing homework at Granny's after school every day is getting kinda boring. I also think Ruby is getting tired of seeing me there every day. I should probably find that out..."

Emma got lost in her thoughts as Regina said, "Maybe you should, but not now. We're still discussing things."

"Of course. I will find out tomorrow because right now, I'm focusing on you."

Emma saw Regina look down, her hair falling in front of her face a little. 'Why is she looking away? She's usually so confident. What happened? Wait a second... is she? She is! She's blushing! Wait, what did I say that made her blush? Uh... OH! I said I was focusing on her. I didn't mean it like that... well, maybe I did. But I didn't know she'd take it that way. She's so adorable when she blushes. It actually suits her. The pink really brings out her lips, and especially that scar above her lip. How did she get it?' Emma saw Regina move her lips, but didn't understand what was being said. 'Wait, pay attention, Swan! Listen to Regina!'

"What?"

"Is something wrong, Miss Swan?"

'God, I like it when she calls me 'Miss Swan'.'

"Why are you being so formal, Miss Mills?"

'See, I can be just as sassy too.'

"Because you were just staring at me!"

"I was focusing."

"Clearly."

'Ok. I take it back. You can definitely be sassier than me.'

"But does the plan for the tree work for you?"

'What plan? Oh, the morning/afternoon thing.'

"Yes. I'll be here at 6:30, we'll leave together to go to school. After school, we'll walk here and... when do I leave?"

"Whatever time Mr. and Mrs. Nolan want you back at their apartment."

'You mean 'our' apartment. Oh, crap! I haven't told her yet, but focus.'

"So, whenever I want to leave?"

"You don't have a curfew?"

'I might now.'

"If I do, I didn't know it. And I doubt they'll add one if they know I'm with you."

'They both know that I have a crush on you. So does your mom. Oh, God. She heard Ruby, yesterday.'

"Emma!"

"What?"

"Are you ok? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. I just remembered something that I need to tell you."

'Now seems like the perfect time.'

"What is it? Is it bad?" Regina asked nervously.

"No, no, no. No, it's good. Very good. I, uh..."

'Why am I nervous? It's Regina. She'd be happy for me.'

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Emma rushed, "IgotadoptedbyMaryMargaretandDavidyesterday..."

"What?"

Taking another deep breath, Emma spoke slower, "I got adopted by Mary Margaret and David yesterday..."

"Really?" At Emma's nod, Regina took a little step closer and hugged her. She practically screamed in Emma's ear, "Congratulations!"

'That wasn't so bad. I don't know why I was so nervous.' Taking her third deep breath in just as many minutes, Emma was overwhelmed with the smell of apples. 'I can't tell if it's her I'm smelling or the air in general. It doesn't matter... it's all reminds of Regina...'

The hug lasted longer than any hug should have, but Emma couldn't have cared less.


End file.
